There are so many different ways to hide in the tech world and those of us less familiar with technology are easy prey to those shadow people who operate as something they most definitely are not. Suffice it to say, there are some standard ploys we have all heard of – the Prince from Nigeria who wants to share his wealth with you so that he can get it transferred into American dollars or the phone call warning us that our “warranty is about to expire” . No, there is no Prince and that warranty is non-existent.
The latest is a call from the IRS or Social Security Administration telling you that you are in BIIIIIG trouble. But you aren’t…unless you do what they tell you because then you will be broke. And no, your nephew is not in a Mexican jail and you are the only person he can reach. The best rule anytime you get an email, text or phone call that is disturbing and requires money, do not respond. Even if they are asking you to pay a bill from nine years ago and you actually owe the money, ask them to send you a request via snail mail. Remember, lots of large companies have been hacked, including collection companies. Do not commit to any action and do not give out any information without provable verification.
