Alva Review-Courier -

I got a call from Jamaica, mon! Since I don’t know anyone from the island, I didn’t answer. Mentioning the call to a friend, they had answered and were offered a chance to have $25,000 deposited in their bank account. All the caller needed was their account information. Another scam.

If you have heard of the dark web, you know it’s where criminals buy and sell your private information. A credit card company offers a free service: give us your Social Security number and we’ll scan the dark web for it. No thanks, it’s my private information in yet another’s hands.

You may recall the time when your Social Security number was your driver’s license number and it was recommended that farmers post it on their trailers in case of theft. Unintended consequences.

Scamming has become a multi-billion-dollar industry and while the offers seem so lame, there is an alarming number of victims. I haven’t received a call from a grandchild in Cancún needing passage home, but that scam has takers too.

Many of us use the internet to obtain goods not available locally and, in doing so, open ourselves to fraud. Miranda, our younger daughter, called yesterday to report her credit card account had been compromised and shoes purchased at Foot Locker. No Foot Locker in Gate, Oklahoma.

Credit card fraud only requires an account number. Chip enabled cards are not safe as they can be scanned remotely.

Cash is still king and, when you’re out of money, you stop spending!