Daryl’s Back Pages
From the perspective and pen of California Newspaper Publishers Association Gold Medal winning journalist and writer Daryl Fisher, join us as Daryl talks positively about family, friends and the interesting people and places that have shaped his life. He does so with a gentle hand and a quirky sense of humor, drawing on the simple, joy-filled experiences of everyday living. He is interested in personal snapshots, not grand panoramas, although he’s not shy about trying to pass along a few insights into the human condition whenever the opportunity presents itself. Fitting into your busy day, lighthearted views of life around 5 minutes each.
Daryl’s Back Pages
Have You Ever Been the Victim of a Scam?
Join us for another episode of Daryl’s Back Pages, “ Have You Ever Been the Victim of a Scam? ”. Podcasts with thought-provoking insights about life in around 5 minutes.
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"Unfortunately, there is almost always a price to be paid for forgetting that old adage that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is!"
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Have You Ever Been the Victim of a Scam?
With the wonderful invention of the Internet, it was of course only a matter of time until there were Internet scammers. I guess Nigerian scams are now the most common and well-known. You know, where you receive an e-mail generally claiming that your help is needed to access a large amount of money, usually in the millions of dollars. In fact, this money does not exist, and the message is only an opening gambit designed to draw potential victims further into the scam. Those unfortunate souls who actually start a dialogue with the scammers by replying to a Nigerian scam message will eventually be asked for advance fees supposedly required to allow the deal to proceed. They often end up becoming victims of identity theft, too.
You don’t have to be on the Internet to get scammed, however, and one of the most popular (and successful) scams nowadays has to do with a phone call placed to an unsuspecting grandparent (usually late at night) from someone claiming to be their out-of-state grandchild or another youthful relative. The frantic voice on the phone informs the grandparent that they have been arrested and thrown into jail for some minor infraction and that they are in desperate need of a couple of thousand dollars to post bail. They tell the grandparent that there is no one else at that hour that they can call and only he or she can help them avoid spending the night in a jail with real criminals. Since the grandparent is usually not familiar with the voice of young relatives living far away, he or she often just assumes that the person they are talking to is a real relative and quickly wire the money that has been requested. And if they do, it won’t be long before more requests are made for additional money to help their grandchild-not with other expenses that have been incurred because of the arrest-not.
Many scams originate out of other people’s suffering, including the ones which pop up after natural disasters like the flooding of New Orleans and the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Those kinds of scams usually revolve around getting concerned and caring citizens to send money to fundraisers where generous donations end up in the hands of the scammers, and not those in desperate need of help. And scammers have no level to which they will not stoop, and very successful scams have been directed towards college savings funds, disabled people in need of wheelchairs, and even the relatives of those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.
But the most successful scams usually require human greed to make them work. Be it those wanting some of the millions that the Nigerians say they possess, or Bernie Madoff’s victims eager to make 15% on their investments, or all the movie stars and sports heroes who throw their money into deals they think will make them richer than they already are, it seems to be human nature to chase after the gold at the end of the rainbow. Unfortunately, there is almost always a price to be paid for forgetting that old adage that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is!
Anyway, since I am always interested in keeping my loyal readers out of harm’s way, I will use the remainder of this column to pass along the latest scam that came across my desk. This one is apparently aimed at men around my age who are into home improvements and are regular customers at such places as Lowe’s, Home Depot, and even Wal-Mart. Here is how it works:
Two very nice-looking, college-aged girls will come over to your car or truck while you are putting your purchases into your vehicle. Without your permission, they will start wiping your windshield, using rags and a bottle of Windex. They are usually braless and wearing very skimpy tank-tops or t-shirts and it is apparently next to impossible not to look.
Once they have cleaned your windshield (and reportedly they do a very fine job), the scam seems to depend on its victim being nice enough to offer them a few dollars for all their hard work, which most men will of course do. But the young women will then refuse to take the tip and instead simply ask for a ride to the local McDonalds or some other fast-food restaurant, explaining that they are famished and in disparate need of something to eat and drink.
Once the victim of the scam agrees to let the young women into his car, one of them almost immediately takes off her top and starts rubbing her bare breasts all over him. And while these unwanted advances are going on, the other young woman reaches over and steals their victim’s wallet.
The first man to locally report that he had fallen for this shameless scam reported that it happened to him on June 4th, 9th, twice on the 15th, and again on July 1st, 6th, 22nd and 30th. He also reported that cheap replacement wallets can be purchased at Wal-Mart for only $2.99, and that he also found some at the Dollar Store for only $.99 cents. Please warn all your male friends over the age of 50 about this new scam and stay vigilant.
