While we do live in world dominated by technology where pretty much everybody you know owns some sort of high-end gadget like an iPad or an iPhone that they use to communicate with their friends, family members or co-workers that doesn't mean the traditional methods of communication have become extinct. Many home owners still have landlines in their home and use them on a regular basis.

When it comes to technology and communication we've all heard the horror stories of online fraud and identity theft and have been warned about how to protect ourselves from such a crime happening against us. Yet, just like how landlines are still in use by many home or business owner, telephone scams are still around and victimizing many people each and every day.

The most common victims of telephone scams are the elderly but they're not the only group of people telephone scammers target so you should still be wary of people trying to get your personal information when talking to them over the telephone. It might seem odd to think that crooks would be bold enough to try and scam people over the telephone but they still do so and you need to be aware of any potential telephone scam that might be happening to you.

One sign that a telephone scam might be taking place involves receiving a phone call from a professional sounding person on the other end of the line that says they're calling on behalf of a professional organization. If whatever the name of the business or charitable organization, be it a dentist in Toronto or a local Toronto support group, sounds sketchy or you've never heard of it before then politely hang up. If they insist on keeping you on the line ask them for a contact number they can be reached at and do some research on the phone number and company or organization.

Other telltale signs of telephone scams include being asked for personal information such as your social security number, the name of your lawyer or personal banking information, tells you that they have a sure-fire idea that'll net you easy money, asks you to send them a check, or they become defensive if you ask too many questions.

It's pretty easy to spot a telephone scam in action if you know what to look out for but the most important thing you have going for you is your gut instincts. If something doesn't feel right or sounds too good to be true then hang up the phone and never think about it again. Someone calling you up out of the blue trying to sell you on a way to make money off investing in large canvas art is probably a scam and you're better off wondering what if rather than losing your life savings!