Who was the only person to break all 10 commandments simultaneously?

The answer is Moses, of course, when he threw the tablets containing the 10 commandments in anger on seeing the Israelites engaged in worshipping a golden calf.

So what are my 10 commandments for protecting yourself from being scammed?

• Ignore; and/or
• Verify.

But wait, you say–that’s only 2. Which is 10 in binary, or computer language. Computers use only 0 and 1–off and on–remember? So the numbering system goes 0 1 10 11 etc instead of 0 1 2 3.

if you really want ten commandments, consider a donation

but they won’t be as easy to remember, and the ones I just gave cover most, if not all, of the needed ground.

So how do these commandments work?

If you get a call, email, or text from someone threatening you with legal action, especially if they want payment in gift cards, or via an app like Venmo or Cash App, ignore it. If you feel you must verify, call the real number of the agency supposedly threatening you, not the number the scammers give you.

The same applies if you’re contacted that an account of yours has been hacked, a family member of yours is in trouble, you’re notified you’ve purchased something you didn’t, etc. Don’t ever call numbers or click links provided by someone you don’t know. Ignore it.

In case you need more convincing, remind yourself that when someone’s on your phone or in your email box, they’re in your space. Ask yourself if you really know of a certainty that they are who they say they are, and whether you really truly want them there.

Scammers try hard to get their victims emotionally aroused so they’ll act quickly and do as the scammer instructs. Your job is to slow that process down. Maybe that’s commandment number 11, or is that 3?