These nuisance calls often exploit email security gaps where attackers use phishing emails to gather phone numbers or trick you into sharing sensitive information. Protecting your business requires proactive steps to filter out fraudsters and safeguard your time and data, but the unavoidable fact is that scammers love small businesses, primarily because they lack the dedicated IT teams or advanced defenses.
With the FCC reporting billions of illegal calls monthly, many impersonating government agencies or banks to gain payment details, install malware, or pressure people into actions that can cost you dearly. So let's show you some essential points that help you build a robust system of defense against the dreaded spam and/or scam:
Understanding Your Vulnerabilities
There are a variety of services available, such as Protect My Data, that can give you an understanding of what your weaknesses are.
They scan for vulnerabilities like exposed credentials and phishing attempts, as well as real-time monitoring, automated alerts, and easy integration with your phone system to block numbers linked to email threats that prevent scammers from escalating digital cons to voice phishing, also known as phishing.
Register on Do-Not-Call Lists
There are national registries like the US National Do Not Call Registry or, in the UK, the TPS (Telephone Preference Service), which legally reduce legitimate telemarketing, but they won't stop scammers who ignore these laws.
The best thing you can do is to refresh your registration on an annual basis to guarantee compliance.
Call Blocking Apps or Services
There are a variety of carrier tools available, such as AT&T's ActiveArmor, as well as apps like Truecaller or Nomorobo that identify and block spam in real time using crowdsourced databases.
You can enable them on your business phones to auto-reject known robocall patterns.
Training Your Staff
One of the biggest preventative measures has nothing to do with tools or tactics. The vast majority of scams arise from human error. What we have to remember is that we can all make mistakes, particularly if we are overworked or feeling like we are not concentrating properly. Even external issues outside of work can affect your ability to do your job, and the important thing to remember is that scammers are incredibly sophisticated and can use urgency as a big trap.
Urgent demands for payment can be a big red flag, but also spoofed caller IDs or requests for gift cards or wire transfers are other approaches. You can educate your team, but also role-play scenarios so you can ensure your team is as prepared as humanly possible.
Enable STIR/SHAKEN Verification
If you have a VoIP provider, you can demand that they support this protocol mandated by the FCC.
This authenticates caller IDs with the approach to thwart spoofing and is now standard for major US carriers, which can slash impersonation scams through verifying calls.
Screen and Verify Unknown Callers
A very simple thing, but if we answer professionally, we should make sure that we're not sharing any information. If someone claiming to be from a bank calls us, we should always call back using the official numbers from the website.
In your business, you should also set office policies for forwarding suspicious calls to a designated reviewer, and be sure to integrate CRM tools so you can log repeat offenders.
Using the Right Tools
There are a number of resources available, but the trick is to layer the right tools. You can stack hardware such as spam blocking gateways, which filter calls at the network level, but if you are trying to protect your business from phishing links through email call hybrids, there are many antivirus suites that can do the job.
The key is also about making sure you update your software patches and firmware to not exploit the gaps in your armor.
It is very tough to monitor everything in the modern day, but the best approaches are by combining these tactics alongside regular audits. Reviewing, testing, and budgeting are the three key areas to ensure that you are doing your best against scammers and spammers. If you have a small business, the best way for it to thrive is when fraudsters do not reach you.
