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The advancement of technology has given us a lot of opportunities to further enhance our lives.

Unfortunately, it has also given rise to adverse issues that come about in the way of scams.

This past weekend, we highlighted a Mower County woman who was able to see through a scam attempt and told her story in hopes others might learn from it.

It was certainly a good ending, however, for many it doesn’t end so well. The fact of the matter is that technology has made it far too easy for scammers to ply their trade in a manner that makes everything they say or do seem authentic.

Some of these tactics are so simple as to have genuine conversations with the person in an effort to come across as trustworthy and sincere and coming from a place that makes it seem like what they are offering will vastly improve their lives.

How would you react if somebody from a sweepstakes company called to say you had won millions? The statement itself is spectacular enough to be jarring and that’s what the scammers are hoping for. For you to drop your attention enough to otherwise inhibit thoughts that something about this might be wrong.

It only takes a small amount of private information to open up a door that can’t be closed again.

However, Saturday’s story reflects that by just being aware and being cognizant of the situation can help you avoid something unfortunate that can have lasting consequences.

There are a variety of things to look out for in terms of identifying potential scams. For instance, law enforcement, the IRS or other similar agencies will never reach out looking for money or claiming that money is owed for some transgression.

Any organization reaching out to tell you that you’ve won some prize will never require money to receive said prize.

These are just two of the examples and they and other reasonings fall under the greater reminder that if it’s too good to be true, it most likely is.

Sadly, a lot of awareness lies on our shoulders. With technology as it is, it’s far too easy for scammers to hide beneath the strands of the worldwide web, obscured from easy tracking.

Please take some time to visit the Federal Trade Commission at https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scam for more on recognizing and avoiding scams. Millions of dollars are lost each year to scams in the United States and we don’t want you to be one of those.