LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Gay 'n Gray |
by John D. Siegfried |
Scammed
I thought I was too old, too wise, too sophisticated to get scammedWRONG! Frequently the local newspaper reports on some old duffer who turns over his life savings to a stranger. The stranger, in return for the duffers money, arranges for the promised prize money, or inheritance, or lottery winnings to be wired from Nigeria. Or, the roofer who drives through the neighborhood and since he's had a cancellation that morning can immediately go to work on a new roof for you. With your deposit check for two thousand dollars in his pocket, the work gets started. At lunchtime he deposits your check promising he'll return with more roofing supplies. And that's the last you ever see of him or your two thousand dollars. Stuff like this happens all the time, but it will never happen to meI'm too old, too wise, too sophisticated. And it hasn't. But I still bit hook, line and sinker on an e-mail scam. The only good thing is that I didn't lose money, just time. Turns out I'm just as gullible as the next guy. On January 22nd I realized, "Oh, my gosh. Today is Kathy's birthday." Kathy is my daughterstill a kid in my mind, but in reality close to the two score years and ten mark. The obvious solution to my dilemma was an electronic Blue Mountain greeting card. The ones I've received are clever, colorful and make me feel I'm special. Someone created a card just for me. I've never thought, "You forgot my birthday and are trying to save face." When I Gooogled Blue Mountain my computer screen immediately began flashing with an instant message. I was the 999,999th person to access Blue Mountain and as a reward I would receive a $ l,000.00 Wal-Mart gift certificate. All I had to do was answer the brief questionnaire appearing in the side bar. That seemed like a small price to pay for a $ 1,000 gift certificate, so I filled in the essentials: name, address, e-mail, phone number, etc. They didn't request a Social Security number or a bank account PIN. They didn't even ask for my shoe size, belt size, or the number of times I've been arrested for speeding. I figured this has to be legit. Then I got to the questionnaire part. Question #1: "Are you interested in further education?" Well, of course I'm interested in further education so I checked, "Yes." Mostly I sign up for writing workshops, self-help groups and courses in the Medicinal and Transcendental Values of Mescaline and other Hallucinogenics. You knowcourses that have an immediate benefit to my life. But when the following question asked me to check whether I was more interested in pursuing culinary courses, TV repair or practical nursing, I began to get the faint odor of a short four legged rodent. When I was asked in the next question what kind of financial assistance I might need to pursue my career goals, I realized the hunk of cheese offered as a $1,000 gift certificate was really a come-on, not a prize. Amazingly, before I could exit Blue Mountain, the phone began to ring. I was told about courses and scholarships offered by ITT, ATT, PET, NET, XYZ and endorsed by SCREW U. For the next two weeks I was continuously barraged with e-mails concerning my interest in continuing education. It took several weeks of hitting unsubscribe to dampen the firestorm. Even yesterday, a lovely sounding woman called to inquire about my interest in further education. Trying to keep my tone even and non-acidic, I responded. "I'm always interested in continuing education. I'm seventy-nine years old and I realize that what I know is miniscule compared to what there is to be known. So, yes, I have a long and sustained interest in continuing education. Also, I have two advanced degrees. I know my name is on your call list because of an e-mail scam that I fell for. So, please remove my name from your call list and do not call this number again." "Thank you for your time," was her pleasant response. Perhaps I learned more from the experience, than I might have from any of the courses offered. I learned that despite my academic credentials, despite the wisdomor lack thereofthat goes with age, and despite my pseudo claims at sophistication, I'm as gullible as the next guy. That's worth knowing. Kathy never did get a birthday card, Blue Mountain or otherwise. She got a phone call instead. But I'll remember next year. Sending a card is easier than hitting unsubscribe over and over and over again. John Siegfried, a former Rehoboth resident who now lives in Ft. Lauderdale, maintains strong ties to our community and can be reached at hsajds@aol.com. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 19, No. 03 April 03, 2009 |