In most cases, the common denominator – and the biggest red flag – is a request for a social security number, a birth date, a credit card number, or other private information that could be used to steal your identity or empty your accounts.
Dr. Joseph S. Eastern
Here’s a summary of what my recent experience taught (or reminded) me:
- Never give out a bank account, social security, or credit card number online or over the telephone if you didn’t initiate the contact, no matter how legitimate the caller sounds. This is true of anyone claiming to be from a bank, a service company, or a government office, as well as anyone trying to sell you anything.
- No federal or state court will call to say you’ve missed jury duty – or that they are assembling jury pools and need to “prescreen” those who might be selected to serve on them. The jury manager I spoke with said she knew of no reason why anyone in my state would ever be called about jury service before mailing back a completed questionnaire, and even then, such a call would be extraordinary.
- Never send anyone a “commission” or “finder’s fee” as a condition of receiving funds. In legitimate transactions, such fees are merely deducted from the money being paid out.
- Examine your credit card and bank account statements each month. Immediately challenge any charges you don’t recognize.
Dr. Eastern practices dermatology and dermatologic surgery in Belleville, N.J. He is the author of numerous articles and textbook chapters and is a longtime monthly columnist for Dermatology News. Write to him at dermnews@frontlinemedcom.com.