The proverbial Nigerian prince with a promise of riches was once so ubiquitous a scam it became a running joke.
The story has grown up with the Internet.
Cons and scams, especially those conducted through a computer, are no longer a joke.
Cyber crime has become a huge business. Americans lose at least $119 billion to $148.2 billion annually to online scams and consumer fraud, although true total economic and unreported losses are estimated up to $200 billion per year, according to the Consumer Federation of America. Its studies estimate consumer scam losses average up to $1,400 per household annually. Those are costs passed on to everyone, in the form of higher consumer prices, cost for enforcement and detection, and prevention expenses.
Many of us know people who have been victims of scam artists, either over the phone or digitally online. Pretty much all of us have been approached or had an opportunity to be engaged with a scam artist, and for whatever reason declined. But this is one of those things that when people hear of a victim, they often think “There, but for heaven’s grace, go I.”
Cybercams will be the subject of the next monthly forum at Tulare County Voices at 210, “Cons and scams: Protecting yourself in the digital age.”
The forum will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10, at 210, 210 West Center Ave.
“Tulare County Voices @210” is a monthly public forum in Visalia that has been a space for community discussion for more than 15 years. It is co-sponsored by the Visalia Times-Delta, the Valley Voice and First Presbyterian Church (which provides the venue and live stream at http://FPCVisalia.org/live).
On the panel to explore this issue will be:
Sgt. Jeremy Rose, Tulare County Sheriff’s Dept.
George Vasquez, VP-Relationship Manager, Bank of the Sierra
Cristo “Crystal” Barajas, Victim Witness Advocate, Tulare County District Attorney’s Office
They will identify what scams are out there, the most common ones, and the kind of cons that are circulating in this area. Our panel will explain how these scams operate, whom they target, and how they manage to hook people.
What scams or cons do you see operating in this area?
Who are they targeting?
What kinds of victims do scam artists target? Is there a profile?
What should you look for to determine whether an offer is a con or genuine?
Of course, the main thing is to let people know how they can avoid becoming a victim, what to look out for, and how to proceed if they believe that they might be getting conned.
The fact is, nearly everyone does business online and digitally. Our forum will explain what to look out for, and identify what might be a con so people can conduct business safely.
With so many billions of dollars at stake, it is not surprising that cybercrime has become the province of international organized crime, with outlets in Asian countries devoted to nothing but persuading people to part with their money. They have slick sales pitches and deceptive offers.
This forum will give people the tools to arm themselves so that they do not become victims.
Things have become more sophisticated than in the days of the proverbial Nigerian prince. Join this forum on November 10. so that you’ll be ready when you are approached by a digital con artist. And join the community conversation.