Lesson 10 of 12 · About 4 minutes
Caller ID can lie
Learn the concept.
Your phone says “FBI.” The caller says your money is in danger. A familiar name or number on the screen does not establish who is speaking.
Watch Leo take back the decision
Follow the sequence, or move one step at a time.
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Read all 4 steps
- An official-looking call
The display makes a claim about the caller. It has not verified that claim.
- Pressure arrives
The caller adds urgency and secrecy. Leo pauses before acting.
- Leo ends the call
The caller no longer directs the conversation. Leo has not shared a code or moved money.
- A separate route
Leo finds the agency’s official contact himself and starts a new call to verify.
Break the caller’s chain of trust
A safer route begins after the original call ends.
- Claim
“FBI” on the screen. Identity still unverified.
- Pause
End the call. No transfer, code, or remote access.
- Verify
Find an official contact yourself. Start a new conversation.
Read the visualWould a badge photo sent by this caller make the request trustworthy?
No. It comes from the same unverified source. A separate official contact gives you a way to check the claim.
Separate the display from the identity
Scammers can spoof caller ID, including a real agency’s number. A badge number or official-looking document sent by the caller is not independent verification either.
Notice the demand behind the story
Pressure to move money, share a login code, or keep the call secret is a reason to stop. A caller demanding a transfer to a “safe account” is a major warning sign.
Start a separate conversation
Hang up. Find the agency’s contact on its official .gov website yourself. For a bank, use its known app or the number on your card. Avoid the caller’s callback number, links, or instructions.
Put it in context
In the fictional Day 9 Short, Leo hears that his bank account is tied to a crime. The caller claims to be an FBI agent and tells him to move his money and tell no one. Leo ends the call and looks up the agency’s real contact himself. He does not need to win an argument with the caller first.
Make a decision.
Use what you just learned. A correct answer lets you save this lesson to your progress.
Take this with you.
Caller ID is a claim. Hang up, find an official contact yourself, and verify before acting.
Next lesson: Spot the impostor behind the requestSee it in a Short.
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