Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

My wife and I got scammed the other day – or at least someone tried to scam us.  We were smart enough to avoid the worst result, but it will still be a worry.

For now, no need to provide detail on that episode.

But, this word to the wise:  If you think you are being scammed and you are on the phone with the scammer, don’t say much if anything.  Just hang up.

The reason?

If a scammer gets your voice on the call, he or she can put your words together in a strange way and use those words to scam someone you know who may recognize your voice.

So, how prevalent is scamming?

According to Mr. Google, scams are a very common crime in the United States, affecting millions of people each year.  In 2023, consumers lost over $10 billion to fraud, which was a 14 per cent increase from 2022. 

According to a Gallup poll, 15 per cent of U.S. adults in 2023 said a household member was scammed, and 8 per cent said they were personally scammed.

Here is a list of common types of scams:

• Imposter scams:  In 2023, these scams resulted in nearly $2.7 billion in losses 
• On-line shopping issues:  One of the most commonly reported scams in 2023 
• Prizes, sweepstakes, and lotteries:  Another of the most commonly reported scams in 2023 
• Investment-related reports:  Another of the most commonly reported scams in 2023 
• Business e-mail compromise:  In 2023, BEC scams resulted in $2.94 billion in losses 
• Romance scams:  These scams target older adults, who may be exploited for money 

So, the bottom-line message is to be skeptical of any message you receive by e-mail, text or phone.  Review it carefully before deciding whether to open it or how to deal with it.

Though it is unfortunate to have to say this these days, skepticism will serve you well.