“Don’t talk to strangers!”
Ring a bell? This mantra should strike a chord with anyone who has ever dealt with an overprotective mother. No good can come from talking to strangers, as your mother might have told you. Even if they offer you candy – even if it’s your favorite candy. You are better off just walking away.
This advice has never been more relevant than it is right now.
A good handful of scam-oriented companies will contact you these days with “special offers.” Whether they are offering new products, discounted travel, or the next big thing in male enhancement, they will do anything to get in contact with you. Think of them as strangers, and their offers as candy.
Just like the creepy strangers your mom warned you about, there is always a catch. Candy always seems like a good idea on the surface. But when a stranger makes you an offer, you should always look twice before you leap. And in most cases, you should avoid the leap altogether.
These days, the majority of e-mails you receive are strangers offering you some sort of candy. In some instances, they will be very easy to distinguish and avoid. In others, the e-mails will be disguised as friendly letters from someone you may know. Yet, more often than not, these e-mails are all seeking the same exact thing: your information.
The same can be said for phone calls from “unknown” numbers. There is a slight – ever so slight chance that it is an important call from a number that elects to remain confidential. The more likely scenario is that, upon answering that call, the person on the other line will offer you empty promises in exchange for money or personal information.
These are certainly not your mother’s idea of “strangers.” But they certainly have bad intentions, and they are getting better and better at making their candy sound tasty.
So, it is crucial to heed your mother’s advice now more than ever. Before you open an e-mail, make sure the sender is legit, and the subject makes sense. Many e-mail sites have spam blockers and try to keep you safe while using their service. But more and more malicious e-mails are slipping through the cracks, as spammers get better at doing what they do. Thus, you can never be too safe when reading over an e-mail before opening it, and especially before doing what the e-mail asks of you.
Once your information is out there (social security #, credit card #, etc.), it’s nearly impossible to undo the damage. But, it is in your control to determine who sees this information and who doesn’t. Really, the less people the better. Protecting your identity is too important to let the wrong person get away with your information. Even if they are offering you candy…you’re better off procuring candy on your own time.
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