Bikini Bottom Twitter

Yeah, though I'd still say that those are scams that use technology rather than scams that require technical knowledge to avoid. Don't just trust anyone that cold calls you or sends a message. If they make a claim that you owe them anything, don't just take their word for it.

They have a legal obligation (both in the US and in many other jurisdictions) to provide a written notice within 5 days or validation of the debt within 30. If they say they don't have your address to send either of those to, that's another red flag. It might also limit their ability to legally pursue the debt even if it is valid because they have an obligation to provide that written notice and debt validation. The debt doesn't disappear in that case, but it could end up in limbo until the statute of limitations passes (though could also affect your credit rating in the meantime).

Just knowing this non-technical information can turn these scams from panic-inducing events that cause a sense of urgency to mild annoyances or even sources of entertainment if you have the patience to fuck with the scammers and waste their time getting their hopes up that they've got another pay day coming. Some real masters of reverse scamming have even managed to get money from the scammers.

My point is that these things shouldn't just be taught in technical contexts because they involve websites or cell phones, but should be a part of the mainstream education process because websites and cell phones are mainstream.