So sorry to hear that this happened to you!

Unfortunately the fraud attempts are becoming bolder and more frequent.  I now always assume that someone is trying to scam me because we get the telemarketing calls so often.  One thing I've started doing recently is telling them that we do not purchase anything over the phone.  And we always tell them to remove us from their call list (or press the opt-out button if it's an automated message). 

We also never answer the phone with "hello" because it triggers the automated messages or you will hear a tone and then the live telemarketer answers the line.  I remain silent if I hear that tone and then the person come on and then hang up.

Also, recently there has been an uptick with scammers using AI to create fraudulent messages using people's real voice but slicing up their words in a different order.  So don't stay on the phone with any of them too long and don't say the word "YES" because that could indicate agreement or approval that they could use to say you agreed to something.  In fact, I don't even confirm my name for them or our location or anything.  Instead, I bluntly ask why they are calling or even what they are selling.

Lastly, be hyper-vigilant about e-mail marketing messages. I get anywhere from 2-12 per day and many of them are now very well disguised and look to be real. you have to examine the actual sender address and be very cautious of anything that wants you to click a link or enter/change a password or that re-directs you to another site.

Sadly, fraudsters will literally say or do anything to try to scam you.  Stay alert!