by Nan Cooney | Special to the Courier    

I was recently assaulted with a deadly weapon. No, not physically, but I think the word assault also applies to crimes perpetrated by hackers and scammer against person’s finances, emotions, self-confidence, and faith.

We all know someone who has been scammed. In my case, I logged in to what looked to be Delta Airlines’ website to make a reservation using frequent flyer miles. There I entered various identifying numbers and was billed $115 for taxes and fees, which I paid using my Bank of America credit card.

Soon after I got a call from “Delta” saying I needed to call my bank and tell them to release the money. I called Bank of America. The representative told me I’d likely been on a phony Delta website, and advised me to call the airline on its published phone number. Delta then confirmed that “PCM travels” was well known scammer that often posed as a travel agency. I hadn’t noticed the phony website had a few extra letters in the URL, which showed they were fake. Later I looked this up on Google and found several warnings about this exact scam.

The thieves had gained a small amount of money from me, but more importantly a great deal of personal information they could sell to other scammers.

When the scammer called later, I told him I had reported him to the police, so he had better watch out.

But is it I who should watch out.

I was covered by the bank’s fraud protection program, so it turned out I didn’t actually lose my money. I filed a police report, but learned since I had not actually lost any property or been injured, technically nothing had happened.

If that’s true, why do I feel so violated and angry?

I cancelled my trip. I concluded if I could be misled by a seemingly trustworthy website, there would likely be many more opportunities to be a target. It’s embarrassing to admit to cowardice, but I hope this helps others talk about similar experiences.

I mentioned my experience at lunch one day at Pilgrim Place and learned of a woman who is unwilling to talk to her best friend or daughter because of the shame she feels. All of her money was taken from her bank account by scammers. Will she report this theft to the police? Is there a place on the police report form where she can state that it was also an assault on her mental health?

The Federal Trade Commission reports hackers and scammers are the source of their most frequent consumer complaints. The stories of controversial whistleblower Edward Snowden and career intelligence operative turned peace promoter Pat Lang show how hard it is to sort out the good guys from the bad.

I’ve read reports that scammers are using AI to sound like people we know to get money from unsuspecting loved ones. A defense for this scam is creating a family code word. Here’s how it works: You get a phone call. The caller says, “Hi mom, this is your daughter. Can you lend me $1,000 to take care of the brakes that went out in the car? Here is my bank info, have your bank transfer it there. I’ll pay you back in a couple of months.” Mom answers, “Glad you are making the car safe. Can you tell me the code word we agreed upon before I send you money?” The scammers will then likely hang up.

I am aware of my array of vulnerabilities; my phone, email accounts, Facebook, mail, even my doorbell are sources of potential attack. I know efforts will be made to scam me again. But I want to live dread free. I don’t want to feel I am defending myself every time I make a purchase, use my credit card, examine my bank statement, or talk to representatives who seem to legitimate.

I remember my feeling of relief when I learned the bank protected me. But the dread remains until I get over thinking of myself as a potential victim. So, I arm myself with information.

Nan Cooney is a Bronx native who studied, worked, and raised a family in Milwaukee. She now experiences West Coast sunsets in Claremont with the Pilgrim Place community.