He was so slick, and I got suspicious just in time

DEAR HARRIETTE: I almost got duped again by scammers. They are so clever, and it unnerves me.

I got a call from someone posing as an Amazon agent, saying that someone in Memphis, Tennessee, was trying to buy a $999 computer using my account. He said it was flagged because the amount was high, and it was going to a different address than I generally use.

He asked to verify my ZIP code. I did. He asked if I had been traveling. He then told me about a range of places where my account had been opened. He made little statements and asked questions here and there that caught me off guard.

He then offered to transfer me to my bank’s fraud department, where I was asked to give my Social Security number or the last four digits of my bank account number. That’s when I got suspicious. My bank has never asked for such information.

I asked how I could know that this was actually my bank. The guy said, “Well, you didn’t call me. You were transferred to me.” I said I would call my bank myself and hung up. When I called my bank, I learned it was an elaborate scam. I almost gave my personal information.