The Other Virus by Alvin Gregory
Recently, our family moved to a new neighborhood. For numerous reasons, a discussion regarding how 'kool' it would be 'tooling' around the beach-focused community in a golf cart. Why not? The search was on …
We found a beauty on Facebook for a bargain price of $1200. We sent an inquiry and received a very nice response from the owner, a recently divorced lady. She stated that she was awarded her husband's 'pride and joy' in the settlement and was looking to unload it fast; thus, the bargain price. Perfect!
As we got ready to wire the dough, a family member suggested using Google to check for golf cart scams … yikes … the screen lite up like a Christmas tree. One story after another from victims who lost much more than the $1200 opener!
Another family friend told us he was in a panic to find COVID-19 face masks. In desperation, he turned to Facebook and ordered three masks for $25 bucks and … never heard from the vendor again!
Over the duration of the current pandemic, we have heard about one scam after another. What, in the world, is going on?
Doug Shadel, an expert on internet fraud, claims that the pandemic crisis is making us crazy emotionally … and it is proven strong emotions can hijack logical reasoning. Shadel reports that fraudsters he has interviewed over the years agree that the key to cheating people is to get them into a heightened emotional state so they can be more easily manipulated. Americans in a heightened emotional state over the virus pandemic makes this a harvest season for scammers.
Here's some suggestions on how to avoid being taken by the explosion of virus scammers:
Get in touch with your emotional state before clicking on a link or buying something from an unknown seller. Google the key word plus scam for any deal that looks too good to be true.
Always wait 24 hours before making a big purchase. During this time, ask and answer truthfully … do I really need this item?
Use established well known retailers who stand by their products.
Don't answer a call if you don't recognize the number. Let them leave a message.
Be extremely cautious of ANY caller claiming to be a representative of a government agency or tech-support agency. This is almost always a fraud.
Always keep in mind… better days are coming and together we can get through all of these intrusions.
Happy Holidays!
AG