Have you or someone you care for ever been scammed? If so, it may be because you or they are a member of the “Flat Forehead Society.” Those with flat foreheads usually get them by slamming their palms between their eyes when they find out some “such a nice person” has duped them out of some hard-earned money as they exclaim, “But he was such a nice person. That’s the last person I would have thought would do that to me.”
Has a slick scammer ever made you do that? Yeah, me too. And, as a well-seasoned litigating lawyer, I’m supposed to be immune to scammers. But, every now and then, one of them gets a leg up on me and treats me worse than a dog treats a fire hydrant. And they do it to my elderly clients more often than my younger clients, though plenty of my other clients call and ask what they can do about being scammed.
Why do older people get scammed in higher numbers? Usually because older (but also younger) Great! people have a tendency to give strangers the benefit of the doubt. Most often, however, they just aren’t thinking quickly enough to get ahead of the scammers.
Because forewarned is forearmed (and a four-armed person can best defend themselves), here’s a quick list of four scams bad people are trying to pull over on Great! people:
- Tech Support: Someone calls, says their company has seen that your computer has been hacked, directs you to a website, which confirms your computer has been hacked, and tells you to pay them for unhacking it. What’s really happening is they are hacking your computer while you are on their site. The Four-Armed Defense is to simply hang up whenever anyone you don’t know calls you up and asks you to do anything you have never done before.
- IRS Agents: Someone calls, says they’re from the IRS, tells you the last four digits of your social security number (ask them for the first five and see what happens), and you either owe them additional taxes or they have a refund for you. Then they tell you to give them a credit or debit card number to which to they can apply your refund or take your tax payment over the phone. Obviously, they will steal your money with the information. The Four-Armed Defense is to simply hang up whenever anyone you don’t know calls you and says they are from the IRS. The IRS never, NEVER, NEVER EVER calls people on the phone.
- Help Us Save The Sick: Someone calls, says, “Hi, I’m calling from the Great! People Are Dying From Cancer (uh, Colitis; uh, Diabetes; uh, Some Other Sickness) Foundation” and then gets you talking and then gets you to pull your credit card out of your wallet, hold it next to your bleeding heart, and think of the good your donation will do in the world. The Four-Armed Defense is to simply hang up whenever anyone you don’t know calls you up and asks you to do anything you have never done before.
- Your Bank’s New Chip Card Department: Someone calls and says you need to answer some questions over the phone or log in to their website to confirm your address and pin number so they can send you your new fancy credit card with that little chip in it. What’s really happening is they are hacking your computer while you are on their site or accessing your bank account with the information you are giving them over the phone. The Four-Armed Defense is to simply hang up whenever anyone you don’t know calls you up and asks you to do anything you have never done before.
The next time we call you and ask you for money to help people be Great! All the time! (this will never happen, but if it ever does), simply hang up the phone.
[reminder]Have you ever been scammed?[/reminder]