Sorry chump, your lack of skepticism has now caused a whole bunch of trouble

Skepticism is a highly underappreciated trait.

Some of us have it naturally. Others learn, usually after one or several hard experiences.

Still others of us never acquire the skill, and are repeatedly taken to the cleaners.

To be skeptical is to harbor doubts about the veracity of some proposition, be it political, commercial, or emotional.

The politician offering something for nothing. The telemarketer promising low, low, low rates. The handsome blond hunk professing his love. Seemingly reasonable and attractive propositions to many, but all viewed dispassionately, from a distance, awaiting corroboration, by the practiced skeptic.

The downside of skepticism is that we might miss out on some genuine opportunity. But the upside is that we could sidestep a scam or worse. A friendly-seeming member of an opposing tribe might really be telling us where the deer are gathered, or she could be luring us into a trap. The evolutionary imperative, survival, might well be served by a good dose of skepticism.

Which brings us to the twenty first century.

We are no longer likely to be enticed into a wooded glen there to be trapped and trounced. But it is very probable that some crook, pursuing our money, will entice us into taking an action which reveals our identity or purloins our financial information. Not as mortal, but highly disaffecting and, once realized, very disturbing. We feel as if we had been despoiled; the world is no longer safe.

All of this can be avoided with a healthy sense of skepticism.

Here is an example.  Imagine that you receive an email from a good friend, or a trusted company that you’ve done business with for years. This friend or business presents something of interest, or makes a request, but in some way tries to get you to click on a link in the email.

Your emotional shields are down. After all, this is your colleague Sally, or sister Phyllis, or banking provider Santander, and the request is so simple. Just click on that link!

Sorry, sucker. You just screwed up.

The information identifying the sender of the email can easily be hacked. It was not sent by your colleague, but by an Eastern European hacker. He got your email address by, perhaps, previously hacking a friend of yours.

The link that you clicked will download malware onto your computer. The logon information and passwords of your financial accounts are now transparent to the hacker, as well as your contact list and access to your email and social media accounts. He will now cascade his attack to all of your friends. Sorry chump, your lack of skepticism has now caused a whole bunch of trouble.

Here is a real example. Regard the email shown here. The sender (blanked out) was purportedly a well-known, trusted source. The request, simple – click this link to view “some important documents.” But something doesn’t ring true. Hi to who? There is no salutation. What important documents? Wouldn’t this sender normally have mentioned what it was all about? And the gobbledygook about security reasons? What??

So your intrepid columnist did not click this link and was saved the ignominy of infecting his and his friends computers. The link was, indeed, a phishing attack.

Avoiding this is not brilliance. It is not genius. It just a bit of skepticism.

Skepticism which you should also use when you receive a phone call, or a mail solicitation, or a knock on the door.

Skepticism. A cheap, effective defense against the scammers who surround us. Practice it early and often.

Although, one must say, it is hugely disappointing that so many are striving to take advantage. Do unto others, after all, is still the key human prescription for peaceful coexistence. Perhaps one day we will all treat each other so.

Until then, skepticism.