Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: I received several urgent calls on my cell phone, and they said they were from my service provider, regarding my bill. When I called back to straighten out the misunderstanding, I spoke with someone who asked – rapid-fire – for personal information. He hit me so fast that I was on the verge of giving him my Social Security number, when I realized that something was strange about this call and told him I never give it out over the phone. He immediately hung up without another word. They haven’t tried it since, but the technique of asking questions so fast that you don’t have time to think is probably successful in many cases. Please get the word out. – Betty, via e-mail

Don’t get taken. Protect your personal information, and don’t give your Social Security number to anyone who calls you. – Heloise