Scams are a national disaster. Americans lost $10 billion — that’s billion with a B — last year in romance scams, investment scams, money laundering scams and more and that’s only what is reported. The real total is double, triple. There is nothing anyone can do to get that money back.

Mark Lowther, who works for the Weber County Sheriff, said the department gets four-to-six phone calls A DAY about scams. People report they are told they are part of an investigation of a credit union or bank, or they are going to be arrested, that their Social Security account has been compromised, or many other lies.

Are people stupid to be fooled? No.

These crooks do a LOT of research. They know your life, your family, your weaknesses. These people have scammed bankers, lawyers, everyone.

How well do they know their victims? One man, recently released from prison, was told he had failed to file DNA and was going back to prison. He lost $9,000. “He was in tears,” Mark says.

What to do? Trust nobody who contacts you about money, and I mean nobody. Even if they claim to be the police, the bank, the CIA, or your mother. Artificial Intelligence can fake any voice. Caller ID is easily faked.

No government agency will ask you to pay with gift cards, bitcoin, bundles of cash or gold bars. Don’t engage. Don’t argue. Hang up.

If someone says there’s a warrant for you, just drive to the police station to turn yourself in. When the police say “Nope, no warrant,” believe them.

Charles Trentelman

Ogden