• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, January 22, 2018

Do you ever wonder why we are so vulnerable to cyber attacks? Try mass stupidity.

A UK group, Take Five to Stop Fraud, found that few people can identify email scams, although most think they can.

Only 9% got perfect scores in the group’s Take Five Too Smart To Be Scammed? Quiz, according to The Daily Mail. Yet four-fifths in a larger survey said they could identify a fraudulent email. But they couldn’t.  

For instance, they failed to see that an instruction from a bank to transfer money to a “safe” account was phony.

Determined to prove my own superior expertise, I took the test — and scored only six out of eight.

Scrap one illusion. But while I clearly don’t qualify for Mensa, I don't deserve to be expelled from class either.

My imperfect score wasn't the result of falling for scams -- instead, I mistook two legitimate messages for frauds. So there. 

I don’t communicate with my bank by email or text. The physical institution is downstairs from where I live, and I can walk in there if there’s a problem. And they love my dog.

I’ll even call Amazon and Apple if there is an issue, and wait on the line if I have to, using phone numbers that have worked in the past.   

Having been hit once by a virus, I open almost nothing unless I recognize the source. And I believe this is a sound policy.

But enough about my paranoid habits. Click here if you want to take the survey. Otherwise, here’s a synopsis of the questions: 

You get this text from your bank notifying you of some fraudulent activity and giving you instructions on what to do. Would you transfer your money?

You receive this email about some unusual activity which asks you to confirm your account details. Do you click the link to the login?

Your bank asks you to call them if you did not set up a standing order or make a new payment. Would you ring them? 

You get this text from your bank querying a recent transaction. Will you call the number provided? 

You’re having some new radiators fitted and you get this email from your plumber to notify you of some changes to their bank details before you send their fee. Do you transfer the money?

You receive these texts informing you that your card has been blocked due to recent transactions. Do you trust them?

Your bank texts you to tell you that there’s a problem with your account login. Would you call the number they’ve given you to fix the problem?

Your latest credit card statement is ready to view. Do you trust these messages?