DRUGER’S ZOO

By Marvin Druger

Email: mdruger@syr.edu

Editor’s Note: Marvin Druger had his computer locked by scammers. He wrote this article by hand—see image on the right. We later typed it.

Iam sitting at the kitchen table writing this article with a ballpoint pen. The reason is that scammers locked my computer. But, I learned valuable lessons from this scamming experience.

I received a text message from a Geek Squad Group that looked like an invoice for $384.97. I didn’t recall any transaction with this group, but that is not unusual for me. My dear, deceased wife, Pat, took care of all the finances and I barely knew how to pay bills. The text had a phone number and I called to find out more about the $384.97. A man with a thick, foreign accent answered the phone and explained that I was due for a refund of $384.97. He guided me to my computer to complete a refund form and to provide other details needed to get the refund. I had no recollection of the transaction, but a refund is a refund. So I followed along with the man’s instructions. The refund form asked for my Social Security number which I foolishly included.

Then, the scammer took control of my computer to process the refund.

A small arrow darted back and forth on the computer screen and wave-like lines appeared. The last step was to press the $ key; the same key has a 4 numeral below the $. I’m pretty sure that I pressed the key correctly for the $. Instead, the 4 appeared on the screen. I pressed the key it again and another 4 appeared on the screen.

The screen was showing some of my bank account numbers and, suddenly, $44,384.97 appeared in my account, instead of $384.97. The scammer told me that I had to pay them back the $44,000 that was presumably deposited in my bank account by mistake. He told me that I had to go to the bank immediately to withdraw the money in cash. He said, “Bring your cell phone and charger along and I’ll stay with you on the phone until the transaction is completed.”

I hopped into my car and headed toward the bank. He told me to withdraw the money in cash and say that it was for home improvements. I began to get suspicious.

He said, “Don’t tell anyone about this because I don’t want to damage the reputation of our company.” He also said, “If you can’t get the full $44,000, get as much as you can.”

By then, I was convinced that I was being scammed. I said, “This sounds like a scam. I’ll tell the bank manager about this situation and I will also tell the Federal Trade Commission.”

He warned me not to do this and threatened to lock my computer. Suddenly, he disappeared from my phone.

I told the bank teller about the situation and he reassured me that this was, indeed, a scam. He checked my accounts and nothing had been deposited or withdrawn. He promised to watch over my accounts frequently from then on.

The scammer did lock my computer. Hence, this article is handwritten.

I reluctantly entered the world of cyber defense. I changed my bank account numbers, froze accounts, got a new credit card, subscribed to Lifelock and did what I could to nullify the scam. But these scammers are greedy, merciless and clever. The 55-Plus generation is especially vulnerable to their actions. A computer-savvy friend was able to unlock my email. But, as I write this article, the rest of my computer is still locked. I don’t want to spend time monitoring my assets, but now I am obliged to do so. Scamming has become more prevalent than ever and everyone has to be on the alert.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science has 12 sections in different disciplines. When I was chairman of the Education Section, the Anthropology Section circulated a resolution that “Humans are by nature warlike.” Each section had to vote on acceptance of this resolution. The vote was negative. My suspicion is that the sections rejected this resolution because if humans are by nature warlike, there is no hope for humanity.

Greed and selfishness are rampant in the modern world. Scammers have no respect for fellow humans. We could say, “Humans are by nature selfish and greedy.”

On another occasion, I was talking to an unsuccessful scammer on the phone. I asked, “Why do you do this?” His response was, “For the money.”

My scam experience was a blow to my faith in humanity. These scammers have families and personal lives of their own. But do they have a conscience? Do they care if they destroy the financial and personal lives of others? Their mother and father would be horrified to find out how their golden child has become a scammer. These scammers should be ashamed of themselves, but they are not.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could replace greed with love and caring? Wouldn’t it be great if we could say, “Humans are by nature loving and caring?”

Scammers should take heed of this premise and life would be much easier and happier for all of us — including them. Nearly one in five adults (18%) reported that they or a family member skipped prescribed medicine at least once in the prior 12 months to save money, according to a recent survey from Gallup and West Health.

“Although higher costs may be causing many to make concessions, that doesn’t need to be the case when it comes to many prescription medications,” said Mona Chitre, chief pharmacy officer and vice president of clinical strategy for Excellus BCBS. “There are several ways to save money on prescription medications without jeopardizing your health and safety.”

The first step in saving money, according to Chitre, is to start with a talk with your physician, pharmacist or health care provider who prescribed the medication.

“Having a trusting relationship with your health care team is critical so you can work together to determine the best treatment for you. Ask why the prescribed medication is needed and how it works. It’s important to let them know if you have financial limitations so that they can identify lower cost options that work just as well or other interventions to meet your budget.”

Chitre recommends these money saving tips: • Generics. Generic equivalents have the same active ingredients and therapeutic effects and can save as much as 80% off the cost of brand name medications. • Know your health plan’s formulary

Many health plans have tiered costs for covered medications: lowest cost for generics to highest cost for select brand name drugs. You can access most insurance company drug formularies (list of covered drugs) on their websites to see what your medication may cost. • Take as prescribed. Not filling prescriptions or taking medication less frequently than directed can end up costing more money down the road by delaying your recovery — or worse, resulting in a hospital stay or ER visit. •Mail service 90-day supply. In addition to the convenience of filling your prescriptions by phone or online and having them delivered to your home, you may also save money when you fill one 90-day supply of your medication instead of three 30-day supplies. • Regularly review your medications.At each provider visit, review your prescribed medications and ask if they are still needed or if lower-cost options have become available. • Prescription discount programs: If you’re paying full price for medications that are outside of your pharmacy plan or if you don’t have insurance, these programs are free to join and can be an easy way to save on prescription medications at participating pharmacies. Excellus BCBS offers the Inside Rx discount card to help the community access discounts at more than 60,000 pharmacies. • Drug assistance programs : New York state offers the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) program to seniors to help supplement out-of-pocket Medicare Part D drug plan costs. • Manufacturer assistance programs: Pharmaceutical companies may offer an assistance program on the medications they manufacture.

Mona Chitre, chief pharmacy officer and vice president of clinical strategy for Excellus BCBS.