$$$: Email and phone scams are increasing. You can get taken for thousands.

[Genki Hikari]

9. I don't get these calls.

I was getting the car warranty people for a while, but even they gave up.

Maybe it's because I don't answer any number I don't recognize. If I don't know it, they're probably up to no good. If it's someone I do need to talk to and it's important, they'll leave a message.

If they did leave one saying they were from an insurer, bank, or anything else, call this number, then

a) I'd know if they were full of it or not. Certain entities (like, oh, Amazon) will never call me unless i ask them to.

b) That leaves the unknown numbers for people I might need to talk to. This tends to happen with MDs who sometimes call me from a personal cellphone rather than a work number, of when a clinic got a new phone number extension that I don't recognize.

Regardless, the mrssage has to be from someone I know.

Even then, I would ignore a request to call an unknown number in the message, and call back with the number I programmed into my contacts, long ago.

So it doesn't take much to outwit these dirtbags. Practice good phone hygiene, and you won't get scammed.