Whatchamacolumn: Scammers come at us every day in every way

Here’s a disquieting New Year’s thought:

Every day, in every way, criminals are preying on vulnerable people via phone, mail, texts, email; all manner of print, digital, video and audio misrepresentations; and a dizzying array of in-person and Internet-based thievery.

If you haven’t been a victim, congratulations. But the Federal Trade Commission has estimated more than $10 billion of 2024 consumer fraud in America, and worldwide, the Global Anti-Scam Alliance sets that number above $1.03 trillion.

For reference, imagine having $1 million in your bank account, then giving that much to each of your one million closest friends.

Much fraud targets elderly people whose innate trust of others makes them particularly susceptible. But more and more, even the most cautious among us can succumb to a well-crafted swindle.

Experian.com warns about the latest scams powered by artificial intelligence, and those involving impostors and investments.

AI scams are using deep-fake communications in audio, video, images and text to misrepresent situations and entice foolish decisions. Slowly but surely, we are losing trust in our own eyes and ears.

Beware potential impostors promising easy gains; be careful of people — even those acting legally — who offer expensive services you actually could do for yourself; don’t fall for the dramatic increase of “romance scams.”

Be mindful that criminal cartels are throwing random nets over the private lives of millions of good people, prospecting for those who can be fooled.

Actually, some “oldie-goldie” scams are still around. One email in my inbox this week said simply, “Greeting, I have access to very vital information that can be used to move huge amounts of money. If it was possible for me to do it alone I would not have bothered contacting you. Ultimately I need you to play an important role in the completion of this business transaction. For more info please get back. Regards, Mr. Alexander Bulyanda.”

Nice try, Alex! The sad reality, however, is that a few people will respond to something even that transparently fraudulent, and many more when confronted with some of today’s highly sophisticated sting operations.

Scammers seek private and financial information; insert destructive malware into your computer or mobile phone; compile information for sale to their worldwide criminal networks.

Think you’re immune? Think again. Scams can unfold in hours, even minutes, and can be life-altering. Estimates of the financial toll don’t include the many people who are too embarrassed to report their losses.

Investment scams are nothing new, targeting people with easy access to cash and a get-rich-quick mentality.

We share too much personal information, click links in emails from unknown people and buy things from unfamiliar online marketeers. We may congratulate ourselves for avoiding those smaller scams while remaining at risk for the big con.

“Dear Customer,” began another email this week allegedly from Capital One. “You’ve received a new payment in the amount of $11,863.95. For your security and protection, this payment has been placed on hold until your attention is required to approve it for deposit into your Capital One available balance. To proceed with the deposit of your new payment, we kindly ask you to verify your account ownership.”

I passed on the offer.

Jeb Bladine can be reached at jbladine@newsregister.com or 503-687-1223.