We all like to think we are smart, independent, in full control of our lives, and there is no way any of us would fall for a financial scam, like those lonely old seniors do, because “that happens to them, not to me, because I am smart.”
But the truth is, even smart people fall for it, people with master degrees, people who work in academia, people running large business… Even I could fall for this.
And how did you learn to recognize it?
My Mom had a close call. She got an Email “thanking” her for her “purchase”. The amount was ~$500. The Email helpfully included a customer service line to get a refund. Once called, the “customer service” rep tried to get her to install remote-desktop software.
Of course there was no original $500 purchase. The whole point of the scam is to make the target upset that they’ve been charged and get so laser focused on the refund that they don’t question the process.