The certainties of life: Taxes, death and scams

Ben Franklin famously wrote in a 1789 letter to French scientist Jean-Baptiste Le Roy: “Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable; but in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.”

To that, we add this certainty: Someone will try and scam you out of your hardearned money. And in this age of technology, those scams will come via email, texts, phone calls and social media.

Recently, a financial columnist for New York Magazine’s “The Cut” wrote of a strange tale that started with a phone call from “Amazon” and ended with her putting $50,000 in cash in a shoe box and handing it over to a stranger. In between was a conversation with someone pretending to be a liaison with the Federal Trade Commission and, eventually, someone claiming to be from the CIA.

Improbable? Yes. But broken down, the scam contained enough plausible details to persuade. It’s a cautionary tale — a scam can happen to the best of us.

For journalist Charlotte Cowles, the nightmare began with a fake caller ID purporting to be from Amazon. That’s the first lesson: Don’t believe caller ID. Hang up if the conversation is even slightly concerning. You can always call back the business or organization using a number you’ve found on an official website.

Remember, today’s scammers know more about you than you realize. They can find your address, the names of relatives, past debts, even Social Security information. They take it from the dark web, selling and reselling information to scammers who want to relieve you of money.

A key strategy of these scammers is to make a person afraid. Click the link, or face unwanted credit card charges, a stolen identity or the prospect of arrest. And when time comes to pay up, anyone who asks you to withdraw cash, pay by a link they send you or otherwise send them money in a nontraditional way? That’s how scammers work. Such requests are a red flag. Don’t do it.

Tips to avoid being ripped off: Don’t click the link. Your account likely isn’t on hold. If a text comes from your bank — sometimes it’s not even the bank you use — don’t click. Call the bank. The email saying your subscription is expiring? Don’t click. Call the streaming service or the Geek Squad first. Most likely, it’s a scam.

One trick to avoid being cheated is to take the text of the interaction and Google it — there’s a constantly updated list of scams online. The Better Business Bureau, for example, keeps lists of new scams. The state Department of Justice, formerly the Attorney General’s Office, also has tips to avoid scams and fraud.

If you’ve clicked on the link and ended up at a website, exit the browser immediately and delete its URL from your browsing history. It’s smart to disconnect from Wi-Fi or run a security program. Try to mitigate any damage as quickly as possible.

Remember to be wary of answering questions, sending information or opening emails or texts from unknown senders. Share less personal information online — even a birthday on Facebook makes it easier to dig out your personal information. Other tips: Delete old online accounts; use antivirus protection; update software automatically; and use payment methods that offer legal protection, such as credit cards as opposed to gift cards or wire transfers.

Taxes and death are certain. So are scams, and even the brightest of us can fall prey if we aren’t paying attention.