Column: It’s been a busy and scary few weeks

The good news is, though I don’t remember it, I’ve been told that I was at Camp Lejeune and eligible for millions of dollars in relief.

There’s more too:

“Bitcoin transfer” tells me I must “come on, quickly withdraw your 12419$ The account is not blocked yet. I’d have welcomed a dementor attack.”

My credit card’s bank warns me, “For your security, we have temporarily blocked access to online banking account activities update and notification until you verify your identity with us. This is simply for your safety online, after your account will be updated, normal banking activities will resume.”

I got a receipt for my payment to “Embrace Pet Insurance” to cover my pet’s dentistry needs. (We don’t have a pet.)

“Tired of Trying” tells me that someone wants to buy my timeshare.

“Energy Bill Cruncher” promises I can say goodbye to my power bills.

Netflix says, “We are having some trouble with your current billing information. Click the link below to update your billing information.”

“CustomerSurvey” from Xfinity says I will get “HundredDollar” for simply following a link to their survey.

State Farm ExperienceaT3 says, “We Are GivinG The Opportunity To Get One Of Our Limited Rewards For FREE (Shipping Not Included).”

“We the People Holsters” encourages me to be Unapologetically American. “Our design are made for the true blooded American who isn’t afraid to hurt a few feelings.”

“Oil Change Coupon” promises me a free oil change – location? 240 Kent Ave., Brooklyn, New York. So convenient.

“Hearing Noises” promises if I eat these five foods, my tinnitus will go away.

“Endurance Auto Warranty!!13” will help protect my vehicle from costly repairs, assuring me I’ve already been added to their system.

McAfee again: “Notice, your protection is at RybpdwISK! Subscritions (sp) are recommended to you!”

“Nguyenthuy” promised I can “Say goodbye to snoring forever.”

MiracleSheets offer “Premium sheets mayde (sp) with all-natural silver that prevent 99.9% of bacteria.”

My cable company says, “Your billing will be closed. Please fix the problem.”

Phew! My cyber life is quite a mess!

My guess is you get the same messages every day in your email inbox. Have you ever fallen for any of them? While I’m very cautious, I did get caught once last year. The message came from a software service that I do use, and it looked so real. I clicked – then screamed at myself as I could see my browser heading into scary territory. I quickly quit, logged off and restarted. I must have moved fast enough to keep the malware from invading my computer.

I am well aware of the warnings and cautions we must take, but it’s easy to slip up.

The FDIC lists the basic rules we need to train ourselves to follow:

- Do not open email from people you don’t know.

- Be careful with links and new website addresses. (I should never have followed the link in that email. Go straight to the company’s website and go from there. And be sure it says, “https”.)

- Don’t give anyone your Social Security number, bank account or any other personal information. (That should be a “duh” but still, people fall for it.)

- Use strong passwords. No 1234password or your dog’s name.

- Keep your operating systems updated. Mac and iOS users like me felt immune to hackers and scammers for a long time, but no longer.

- Never buy gift cards to pay any bill.

- Don’t befriend people on social media you do not know.

These steps are all so obvious, yet we hear every day about someone getting duped. Senior citizens can be especially vulnerable. It’s not easy to stay calm when someone is threatening to arrest you or terminate your Social Security checks.

This could make a good New Year’s resolution: Stop yourself before you click — sometimes doing nothing is the safest and smartest option.

— Peggy Bakken is a former executive editor and a columnist for APG-East Central Minnesota. Reactions welcome: peggy.bakken@apgecm.com.