by Tina Seymour Demoran, The Blue Jean Lawyer

In today’s highly technical society, we always think we are “smarter” than the average scammer.  Surely, with Google, virus software for our electronic devices, and caller ID, we can stay a step ahead of the thieves out there who want to take advantage of us and steal our hard-earned money, right?
Wrong.
As technology advances, so do the elaborate schemes of would-be thieves and scammers.  From setting up an online “fund’ account for medical issues, sick or poverty-stricken children and their families, to surveys and “what color is your spirit animal” quizzes on social media…the ways that we willingly share our money, our bank information, or credit card information, and our personal information are numerous.
I know I sound like a Scrooge, but I prefer to do my homework, verify the charity/need is REAL first…then hand the donation directly to the organization…instead of just pulling up my PayPal account and believing all of the “please help me” campaigns on social media.
The “C” word also seems to make people reach for their pocket books quicker than anything I see online.
However, how many of us VERIFY that the cancer is real…the person is real…before we donate?
As a cancer survivor who is getting ready to celebrate her 17th year of remission, it sickens me to see someone who is completely healthy fake a cancer diagnosis or falsely inflate the seriousness of their cancer diagnosis in order to get donations from others.
With Federal healthcare privacy laws…it’s dang near impossible to know what is going on in that person’s life or to verify it…so it’s very easy to take advantage of the goodwill and caring of others in these situations.
So, what to do?
Verify the need is real or the charity is registered with the Secretary of State, before donating.
Make a donation in their name to a REAL, 501c3, charitable organization that does research for that type of cancer or who offers services to cancer patients and their families.
Drop off a casserole instead of cash.
Ask to go with them for moral support to their next chemo session or take them to their next doctor’s appointment.
Another issue is all that personal information we are sharing when we take online quizzes.
Our dog’s name.  The first car we drove.  The street we grew up on as a child.  Our mother’s maiden name.
Wait…don’t those also sound like security questions for our online accounts?
They are…and scammers use that information for identity theft purposes.
So, how do we avoid the ever-present danger of online scammers?
Stay clear of the “what flower are you” quizzes.
Don’t share personal information online, especially on an unsecure electronic device.
When in doubt, just say “NO.”  It’s ok to simply say that you aren’t interested in making a donation if you have doubts about the validity of the need or of the motives of the person/group asking for money.
Remember this:  it is far easier to take the time to verify the need is real than it is to recover a donation that was made to a scammer.

Be safe out there!  Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions at (228)224-6781 or editor@thegazebogazette.com