In an enlightening and somewhat scary string of anecdotes, reporter Julie Riddle showed in a recent story how easy it easy for anyone to fall victim to a phone or computer scam.

Even Sgt. Chris Wicklund of the Michigan State Police, trained to spot suspicious activity, admitted to Riddle he’d nearly fallen victim, himself. When a message popped up on his screen warning him to call a phone number to prevent a virus from taking over his computer, Wicklund called. He hung up when the voice on the other started asking for information.

Last year, 1.4 million Americans reported fraud to the Federal Trade Commission, a quarter of them losing a combined $1.48 billion to scammers, an increase of 38% over 2017, Riddle reported.

Scammers use all kinds of methods to trick their prey, pretending to be trusted companies or government agencies, telling victims relatives are in trouble, even using technology to make it appear they’re calling from a local number.

It’s scary out there, especially for those of us less familiar with technology. But the FTC offers some tips for staying safe:

∫ Research the company calling you. Check out sites like the Better Business Bureau to verify a company, or hang up and call back a number you know to be legitimate.

∫ Don’t pay with easily scammable methods, such as gift cards or wired money. Trusted companies will never ask you to pay that way.

∫ Don’t pay upfront for a promise. Only pay for something when you’re sure you’re getting a service.

∫ Visit ftc.gov/scams to get alerts about trending scams.

It’s a weird world out there, dear readers. Stay safe.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)