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Avoiding ‘The Ether’

Sadly, the amount of money and information lost to fraud and scams has steadily increased over the last decade and actually accelerated during the past two years. In one way this seems to defy logic. Yes, there are many scams; some old, some new, some using advanced technology and others using simple phone calls. But at the same time, common wisdom tells us that there is greater awareness of this criminal activity given the work of AARP, the BBB, government agencies, and business. That should reduce the number of victims. But, scammers are successful because regardless of the educational effort, human nature works against the victims. Here are a few of the reasons we see for not heeding warnings.

1) At the top of the list, “I’m too smart to be scammed.” Quite often education is cited as a reason for ignoring the message. The reality: the criminals target “smart” people because advanced education means higher salaries and greater assets. A cardiologist may be “smart” in terms of medical knowledge, but he or she may be far less capable in thwarting the criminal. We need to consider the intelligence of the criminal as a professional and well-schooled in the art of the scam. That makes them more than a match for most smart people.

2) The message is being delivered by AARP. If I’m not a member or for that matter, I’m not old or retired, I may not see the message as relevant to me; but the message is for everyone. Fraud is not the province of senior citizens. You can say that fraudsters and scammers are equal opportunity criminals. While senior citizens are targeted, so are all other demographics beginning with the new-born. In reality, there are more fraud victims between the ages of 25 – 45 than victims over the age of 65. Potential victims need to accept advice from all sources;

3) Next: I don’t have much money so they won’t care about me. Once again, the criminal is seeking any victim. True, the wealthy make for nice targets, but stealing money or information from them is more difficult and involves more work. Scamming a lot of people out of a few hundred dollars each may not carry a big reward but several small payoffs can be just as profitable in the long run.

There are steps to take that will pay off for you and for those who are important to you. First, avoid “The Ether,” a heightened state of anxiety of emotion. The ether can be elation or fear. A late-night call from a friend or family member in trouble, a threatening notice of pending arrest, or a congratulatory call from Publisher’s Clearing House can put you under the ether. When confronted by an emotional situation, don’t succumb to anxiety or urgency. Step back and allow common sense and reason to return.

Know that technology can be manipulated. Phone numbers on a caller ID can be altered by a computer. You may want to consider not answering the phone unless you recognize the number displayed. Be prepared to hang up when you sense

something wrong or inappropriate. Be wary of robocalls; most are scams. Don’t connect with an agent and ignore instructions for removal from a call list. That action will only confirm your number as operational and set you up for more calls.

As a computer user, be cautious entering information on websites. Never provide ID’s and passwords unless you can verify the website as correct. Examine the address line on the web page (URL) or address on an email message to confirm its accuracy. For example, a scammer may create a copycat website for TDbank.com with the name TDbnk.com.

One final self-defense step for today: be cautious with postings on social media. Consider social media postings as public notice. Scammers examine social media and collect information or profile intended victims for scam targeting or access to personal accounts.

Taking these few steps will go far in providing a degree of protections from victimization.

Elliott Greenblott is a retired educator and coordinator of the AARP Vermont Fraud Watch Network. Questions, concerns? Contact [email protected]

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