12 Things Former CIA Do That Make You Impossible to Scam

The phone rings after supper. A frightened young voice says, "Grandma, it's me, I'm in trouble, please don't tell Mom," and a man in the background says he's a lawyer. After 31 years at the CIA, here are the 12 habits that make you a dead end for scammers on the phone, by text, by mail and online: from the calls you're allowed to ignore and the family code word, to the credit freeze, the two-person rule for money, and the five-word sentence that ends almost every scam call. Tell me in the comments: what's the strangest call you've ever gotten? Everything here is public, legal, and about protecting yourself. #scamawareness #seniorsafety #grandparentscam #fraudprevention #identitytheft #livealone #phonescams #retirement