Captioned telephone service is a critical accessibility tool, enabling millions of Americans with hearing loss the right and opportunity to communicate with others by telephone. It’s a terrific accommodation, but can it make it easier for scammers to target people with hearing loss?
Scam Call Captioned Word-for-Word
One family wishes a captioner had done more to protect their hard-of-hearing mother when crooks called telling her that her grandson was in jail and that she needed to deliver bail money as soon as possible. As the circumstances and instructions became more and more questionable, the family wonders why the captioner did not sound a warning.
The reason: it’s against the law.
Both Federal Communications Commission rules and the Americans With Disabilities Act require that captioning services provide the same rights of privacy enjoyed by “hearing” phone users who would not likely have a third party on the line. This means captioners cannot actively participate in whatever conversation they are transcribing.
How Can You Protect Yourself?
Sadly, scammers often target older people and while not all people with hearing loss are older, many older people do have hearing loss. Difficulty hearing on the phone can make it harder to identify a caller’s voice (is this actually my grandson calling?) or read the emotion in a voice. Hearing loss can also lead to misunderstandings, making it easier for scammers to bully through someone’s intuition.
The risk of scams is no reason to avoid a captioned call service, especially given its numerous benefits in other situations, but users and families need to understand that the captioner on the line is only there to transcribe.
To protect yourself from scam calls, other measures, like those listed below, are required.
1. Verify that the caller is who they say they are
If the premise of the call seems strange, hang up and call the person back. Or text them while you are on the line to ensure that it is them calling you. As an extra security measure, consider creating a family code word or phrase that can be used to authenticate a caller’s identity.
2. Ask yourself if the requests are realistic
Would the police or a government agency demand payment immediately? Request payment in cash or via Bitcoin? Arrange a meeting at some obscure location? Probably not. If something seems rushed or out of the ordinary, it could be a red flag that this is a scam. Hang up and call the place directly or drive to the local government office or law enforcement precinct to verify the accuracy of the call.
3. Respond rather than react
Many scams use fake emergencies—like a loved one being in trouble with the law or involved in an accident—to prey on fear and other emotions. If the situation seems anxiety-inducing, pause so you can respond appropriately rather than react in panic. Slowing down and verifying makes it easier to avoid scam calls and their nasty consequences.
Scam calls are becoming more common, but following these helpful hints can help you avoid them, whether the calls are captioned or not.
Shari Eberts is a passionate hearing health advocate and internationally recognized author and speaker on hearing loss issues. She is the founder of Living with Hearing Loss, a popular blog and online community for people with hearing loss, and an executive producer of We Hear You, an award-winning documentary about the hearing loss experience. Her book, Hear & Beyond: Live Skillfully with Hearing Loss, (co-authored with Gael Hannan) is the ultimate survival guide to living well with hearing loss. Shari has an adult-onset genetic hearing loss and hopes that by sharing her story, she will help others to live more peacefully with their own hearing issues. Connect with Shari: Blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter.
