I have gotten to the point where I don’t believe hardly anything I read on the Internet, including Facebook. I don't always believe what I read in print either. There are just too many trolls, mischief makers and downright liars out there.
I suppose I can still believe most of what I see in real life, but with technology evolving so much I am beginning to wonder about that as well. (And if I go shopping I sometimes have a problem believing what some folks are willing to wear in public!)
Some folks take a grain of truth (maybe truth) and blow it all out of proportion to reality.
Some folks may not like a politician, a political party, a situation and want to make the world believe something is true when it isn't. (Think Birthers) The fact is you just can't believe any third party accounts any more as there is no telling if what they say is true or not. This can include almost anyone, including friends and/or family members. They are most likely well meaning and they may believe what they are saying is true, but in fact, they may just want to believe it and want you to believe it as well.
I don't answer the phone much any more either. You can't trust Caller ID anymore either as the scammers know how to spoof who they are including names AND numbers. They frequently use spoofed names such as ‘Toll Free Call’, ‘Support Center’, or even an important sounding name such as US Government.
The scammers masquerade as someone calling from Microsoft (Microsoft doesn't call anyone unless the person has an ongoing problem ticket initiated by them.) The scammers could be a collection agency using illegal tactics to make folks think they have to pay up whether they owe anything or not. The list goes on and on. I wish I could block these scammers, but they would just change the number and keep calling. Once your number is added to a list, it is in the wild and anyone can buy those lists.
Martha
