How to Outsmart the Scammers

In a time when your body is in so much pain, the last thing you want to do is run from upstairs to downstairs and realize on the other end of the telephone is a scammer. They are more annoying than having an itch you can’t reach. This happens to me several times a day. The more calls I block, the more I get.

Do these people prey on people with disabilities? They want to sell you their creams, lotions, insurance or this or that. I find myself telling them politely I've tried everything. I tell them I have had psoriasis for 55 years and psoriatic arthritis for 25 years, so give me your best shot.

Am I a target for scammers?

The questions that come to mind for me is, “Where did you get my telephone number from?” How many patients fall for this type of solicitation and is it just a money scam? I really get frustrated with these gimmicks. I know that many people are being fooled by these people. My father who is 84 called me one day to tell me that this guy called him and told him that if he sent him a money order for $250 that he would get a $2,500. My father actually believed this, but he was smart enough to tell the guy, let me talk to my daughter first. They never called back.

We all get the recorded calls, they always say press 1 to speak to the operator or 2 to get your name taken off the list. Don’t do either, you will just get more calls. They are getting smarter and smarter, they use phone numbers close to our own number so you’re most likely to answer thinking it’s a family member or friend.

For the millions of people with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and other disabilities, we must be careful who is on the other end of our telephone line. Ask questions if you answer their call. We should never assume that these people who are trying to convince us that their product will miraculously heal us is true. We are bombarded with mail solicitations, internet solicitations and now telephone solicitations.

My own experience with scammers

One day as the telephone rang and they caught me off guard, there was a lady on the other end of the line. I began to have a dialogue with her. I told her, ma’am let us get on the same page here, tell me about your product. She was trying to convince me of a spray that could cure psoriasis. I spent at least 30 minutes on the telephone with her. When I questioned her about the product, the ingredients, the manufacturer, her qualifications, and how long the product had been on the market; she became speechless and hung up on me. I knew that this was bogus, but I wanted her to know, I knew too.

Desperate people do desperate things. It takes 5 minutes to question these people. They have found a way to take advantage of people who endure pain or have disabilities. If you decide that you want to buy any product, please investigate the resource from where they come and do your homework.

Protecting yourself from scammers

If we aren't proactive in this we might become a victim of scammers. I know for myself that there have been days when my pain from psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis has been so bad that a person on the other end of the line made their product sound great, but I was smart enough to check it out and not just believe what I heard and give my money to someone for false hope. People fall for this all the time because they become desperate and hope that is what the “doctor ordered”.

Be mindful and aware. Confirm the identity of the person you are speaking with. Get their number and call them back. Everything that sounds good is not what it is. My rule of thumb is simple, know who you’re talking to and what they’re talking about. Never give out your personal information or money to anyone you don’t know.

I’m not saying all these products are good or bad. But what I’m saying is that our telephone lines are being worked overtime by scammers promising us with things that they can’t deliver. Let’s be aware and put a halt to unnecessary stress on our already compromised immune systems.