The #1 Phone Scam-Stopping Phrase Caregivers Need — Plus Real Tips & Safe Phones That Protect Your Home
Thank you for supporting caregivers!
This article was written by Alrady and AI ChatGPT Assistant. If you'd like to support our efforts, please consider visiting Susan’s Zazzle store — your support helps with her husband's medical care.
👀 Scroll down the page to find essential scam-stopping tips, caregiver protections, real Arizona scam-number examples, and dementia-friendly phone tools.
📵 Register your number with the National Do Not Call Registry: https://www.donotcall.gov/
Note: The Do Not Call list reduces legitimate telemarketing, but it can’t stop scammers or robocalls. Filling out online forms (insurance, Medicare quotes, “request info” boxes, etc.) often leads to your number being resold — which is why spam can jump even after registering.
📞 The #1 Scam-Stopping Phrase Every Caregiver Needs — And It Works for Everyone!
Because when the phone rings and your stomach drops, this trick protects the whole household.
Caregivers live on high alert. Whether it’s waiting for medical updates, pharmacy calls, or urgent instructions, the phone becomes a lifeline — and scammers know it. This guide gives you simple tools to protect your home from spoofed calls, voice-cloning scams, and aggressive robocalls.
In our home here in Arizona, many scam calls arrive from our own local area codes — especially 602 and 623. Scammers spoof familiar numbers to trick caregivers into answering, and we avoid picking up because we don’t want our voices recorded. Voice-cloning scams are rising fast, and Arizona caregivers in particular need strong strategies to protect their households.
During Medicare Open Enrollment (Oct 15–Dec 7), scam calls jump at least 25% — often more. Scammers target seniors, caregivers, and anyone who searched Medicare information online. If your phone explodes that time of year, it’s not your imagination.
⭐ MUST-KNOW CAREGIVER PHONE-SCAM SAFETY TIPS
Use these in real time, exactly as written. Think of them as your caregiver “script” for any suspicious call — quick to say, hard for scammers to survive.
1️⃣ The “Written Notification” Scam Stopper
“Please send me written notification. I don’t make payments over the phone.”
- Legitimate organizations will always agree.
- Scammers can’t — it breaks their script.
- They usually hang up immediately.
2️⃣ The “Call the Main Office” Trick
If you ever feel pressured or unsure, say:
“I don’t discuss this over the phone. I’ll call the main office directly.”
- Medical offices expect this.
- Scammers hate it because they can’t prove who they are.
3️⃣ Understanding “Line-Check Calls” (Ghost Calls)
These are calls where:
- Your phone rings once and stops
- You answer and nobody speaks
- The caller hangs up immediately
This means the scammer is checking if your number is active. Caregivers are often targeted because we’re waiting for medical updates — scammers exploit that moment.
Quick reminder: if a caller ever demands money or “verification,” go straight back to the #1 scam-stopper:
“Please send me written notification. I don’t make payments over the phone.”
Then hang up. If it’s real, they’ll mail you proof or leave a voicemail you can verify.
💥 What to Do If You’ve Already Been Scammed
If you or a loved one accidentally gave information or money to a scammer, don’t panic. Take these steps right away to protect yourself and limit the damage:
- 1. Contact your bank or credit union immediately.
Say: “I need to report fraud.” They can freeze transfers, block withdrawals, and help reverse charges. - 2. Change your passwords immediately.
Start with email, banking, Amazon, Apple, Google, and any site with saved payment info. - 3. Turn on two-factor authentication.
This blocks scammers even if they have your password. - 4. Place a fraud alert on your credit file.
Free and lasts one year.
https://www.experian.com/fraud/center.html - 5. Report the scam to the FTC.
This helps track scammers and protects others.
https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ - 6. If money was sent through Zelle, CashApp, Venmo, or PayPal:
File an in-app fraud claim immediately. Speed matters for recovery. - 7. If you gave personal info like SSN or date of birth:
Consider a temporary credit freeze to prevent identity theft.
https://www.identitytheft.gov/ - 8. If a scammer accessed your phone or computer:
Turn it off, then run a security scan or take it to a repair shop for a quick check. - 9. Save everything.
Screenshots, caller IDs, bank notifications, text messages — these help with reports or legal follow-up. - 10. For caregivers:
Monitor your loved one closely. Scammers often try again within 24–48 hours.
Most important: Do not be embarrassed. Scammers are professionals, and even very tech-savvy people get fooled. What matters is acting quickly to protect yourself and your family.
Yes — if you're searching for an unknown 602 number like the ones below, it’s almost always a scam or spoofed robocall. In our Arizona household, these calls hit daily, often hopping from one fake number to another if we don’t answer.
📞 Click to See Real Arizona Scam Numbers We've Received
These are real spoofed “local” calls we’ve received — usually marked as Potential Spam and almost always from 602. If we don’t answer one, they often rotate to another fake number within minutes:
- 602-675-3275 — received twice today (Sunday!)
- 602-362-0941
- 602-388-8787
- 602-526-8731
- 602-615-3488
- 602-838-1086
If these numbers look familiar, you dodged the same scam wave we did. They rotate through them all day.
And just to prove how confusing this has become: right in the middle of all these spoofed calls, we got two completely legitimate texts from our real hospital confirming an appointment — from numbers that look just as “scammy” as the fake ones:
- 623-832-2424 — real hospital appointment confirmation
- 480-684-7500 — real medical scheduling/notification line
Caregiver lesson learned: the moment you realize a number is legit, add it to your contacts list ASAP. That way the next message shows a real name instead of another suspicious number.
And if you live with someone who has dementia or is especially vulnerable, technology can do the screening for you.
⭐ Dementia-Friendly Phone Options
If you’re caring for someone with dementia or memory loss, a simplified or caregiver-controlled phone setup can block nearly every scam attempt.
Top 3 Recommended Phones
1️⃣ RAZ Memory Cell Phone
Designed for dementia; caregivers control contacts remotely.
2️⃣ Jitterbug Flip2 (Lively)
Simple interface, big buttons, emergency help button.
3️⃣ VTech Amplified Phone with Smart Call Blocker
Great for landlines; blocks unknown callers automatically.
How to choose:
- If they use a landline, pick a call-blocking home phone.
- If they carry a cell phone, pick one with caregiver-controlled contacts.
- If confusion is advanced, picture-dial phones reduce mistakes the most.
📂 More Dementia-Friendly Phone Options
IRIS Easy Flip Phone (Consumer Cellular)
Budget-friendly, large keys.
First-Alert Big-Button Phone w/ Emergency Pendant
Home landline with emergency pendant.
Senior Cell Phone With Picture Dialing
Tap the photo to call; ideal for dementia users.
Memory Picture Phone (MindCare)
Each button displays a trusted contact’s face.
.png "Chart visualizing U.S. scam losses in 2024. Investment scams caused $5.7 billion in losses, imposter scams caused $2.95 billion, and other scams totaled $3.85 billion. Older adults and vulnerable individuals are often targeted by these frauds—don’t become another statistic.") |
| Older adults and vulnerable people lost billions last year. Don’t become another statistic. |
⭐ Final Caregiver Safety Rules
- Never give personal info to unexpected callers.
- If the caller sounds urgent — it’s probably a scam.
- Always call the medical provider back using the number YOU trust.
- Teach your loved one it’s okay to hang up mid-call.
- Use phones/apps that block unknown callers.
Written by Alrady and AI ChatGPT Assistant. Inspired by real life — and by a Sunday morning scam call reminding us: never answer unknown numbers before coffee! If it's legitimate, they WILL leave a message.
No affiliation with linked products; they’re shared to help caregivers find solutions quickly.
🛍️ Support Susan’s Zazzle Store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/sdgolis
.png)
Comments