2019 is going to be a lot like 2018, and a lot like every other year in recent memory: there will be a couple new ways to become a victim of some form of scam or fraud, there will be a boatload of old, tried-and-true scams still making the rounds (some with slight variations that make them seem new), a few “latest threats” frantically shared on social networks that turn out to be hoaxes, at least one or two major data breaches (and dozens of minor ones), and a whole lot of information, both accurate and inaccurate, about all of it.
And so, as we approach the new year, my advice is to stick to one basic principle, and to always ask yourself, “Is this the way the world really works?” That little bit of skepticism can be your best friend when it comes to avoiding scams and rip-offs, as well as not being the person who spreads false information and hoaxes online.
A lot of people make health-related resolutions this time of year. But before you spend money on a dietary supplement being hawked by some A-list celebrity, ask yourself how you think that A-lister got into the shape he or she is in. Does it seem more likely that they took a pill (that’s only been on the market for a few months, mind you), or could it be the full-time nutritionist on staff, the live-in chef, the million-dollar in-home suite of workout gear, the live-in personal trainer and the fact that their entire job description, when not actively working on a project, is to stay looking as perfect as possible?
When you read a story breathlessly shared on Facebook about robbers using fake perfume samples to subdue victims in parking lots (an urban legend that’s been repeated in various forms since around 1999), take a moment to notice how unlikely the whole scenario seems in light of how quickly most criminals prefer to operate (to say nothing of how ether and chloroform actually work). Notice how many of the “I narrowly escaped this!” stories boil down to, “I saw a man in a parking lot, and then nothing happened.”
When you get an email telling you that you’ve won the Powerball Lottery, remember how lotteries actually work in the real world. You buy a ticket and wait for some ping pong balls to pop out of a big tumbler. You don’t just “have an email address and wait until you win.”
When the phone rings and the caller claims that he’s from the IRS, you didn’t pay your taxes, and that you’re going to be arrested today unless you pay up immediately by purchasing some iTunes cards at the drugstore and calling back with the information, ask yourself if any one part of the situation squares with how the IRS actually functions. (Hint: none of it).
You don’t have to become a cynic, but just remembering to think about a new claim or information before you act on it can be a powerful ally. And remember this: if someone is trying to make you afraid of some immediate (or even abstract) threat, and they tell you the only way to make the fear go away is to give them something (money, personal information, etc.), they are probably not telling the truth.