Dear Mikey,

Lottery confidentiality

"There’s a sucker born every minute” was originally coined by David Hannum, but we all associate it with P.T. Barnum, which proves the point that anyone can be a victim of scams and hoaxes if the line is made believable enough and the person being scammed wants to believe it. Such is the case with a scam currently being run by a group claiming to be from Microsoft but who are, in reality, salespeople.

Ryan Quinn (“Be careful when looking for cheap education,” AFN, March 24) offered a very enlightening opinion regarding the private, for-profit university educations that are being offered continuously on television, radio, Internet pop-ups and in print media. While it is valid that the poorer the economy, the more need for higher education if one is to secure a good job. These colleges also qualify for the same Pell Grants and student loans that state-run universities offer, but the degree usually has less merit in the marketplace. Taxpayer dollars being lent for these for-profit universities are frequently just another scam. Good advice from the letter writer — buyer beware.

It’s a call from a relative. It may be a grandson or a cousin. But this is one call you don’t want.

"Your entry last month has WON! Go to www.****.com to claim your FREE $1,000 Target gift card within 24 hrs.”

The city’s Neighborhood Services Department is partnering with the Arizona Foreclosure Prevention Task Force to host a free foreclosure informational event from 3 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at the South Mountain Community Center, Century Room, 212 E. Alta Vista Road.

Editor’s note: The Ahwatukee Foothills News is proud to share with our readers this weekly consumer advocacy column from ABC15 Investigator Joe Ducey. Beginning today, you can find it regularly in print, online at Ahwatukee.com, or on our “AFNNews” mobile app (available for download now at Ahwatukee.com/onthego).

APS and SRP have received reports of individuals falsely claiming to represent the utility companies to collect payment for electric service.

Here’s a disturbing statistic: One out of every five Americans over the age of 65 has been victimized by a financial scheme, according to the Investor Protection Trust, a nonprofit organization devoted to investor education. If your parents are in this age group, should you be concerned? And can you help them avoid being “scammed” so that they maintain control over their finances?

Cyber Monday is a popular day for fast online deals, but it can also be a popular day for quick scams through fraudulent websites.

I like to think I’m reasonably intelligent, not rocket-scientist smart, but I do OK. I can usually figure stuff out if I think on it long enough and do enough research (thank you Internet). Occasionally I’m stumped — flat out puzzled and left scratching my head — and not over anything as complicated as beating SpaceX to Mars.

Eddie Electrician may provide eight hours of his time to Pete Plumber who, in return, provides eight hours of his time to Eddie Electrician. At the end of their workday, they have both received the services they needed. All services were provided as economically as possible and with no hidden costs, i.e., eight hours for eight hours.

Acupuncture gets a thumbs-up for helping relieve pain from chronic headaches, backaches and arthritis in a review of more than two dozen studies — the latest analysis of an often-studied therapy that has as many fans as critics.

Q: I just received a call from someone asking me to click the Windows button + R. The caller says he’s from the computer maintenance department of Microsoft Windows and they are doing a routine check. He left a phone number and his name and asked that I call back. I’m figuring he was up to no good, so I didn’t comply. — Cindy

Q: I seem to be getting more spam text messages on my phone these days; I reply with “stop” like they say, but it doesn’t always seem to work. — Andrea

I was probably about 11 years old when I had my first experience with Internet safety.

Phoenix police said another money scam has reached the Ahwatukee Foothills area, this time posing as a sweepstakes winning from Reader’s Digest.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Internet users scanning their Twitter feeds or Facebook accounts Sunday might want to add one more quick click to check their computer for malware.

New York •  Amazon.com wants “.joy,” Google wants “.love” and L’Oreal wants “.beauty.”

New York •  Amazon.com wants “.joy,” Google wants “.love” and L’Oreal wants “.beauty.”

Addicted as we are to our online life and our mobile devices, it’s no surprise that a growing number of cybercriminals are lurking out there with us.

Addicted as we are to our online life and our mobile devices, it’s no surprise that a growing number of cybercriminals are lurking out there with us.

Regarding Carolyn Short’s commentary on Medical Marijuana (May 23): The writer states that the vote on this issue was a scam to legalize pot and has since “been proved right.” She provides no evidence for this.