It’s your granddaughter Sally on the phone. She says that she’s in trouble and needs money -- $2,000. The caller sounds a little like your granddaughter, but you haven’t spoken to her in years so you aren’t sure. You begin asking her questions, like fill in the blanks, and she deftly uses the information you unwittingly feed her to construct an elaborate tale that seems to ring true. Finally, you promise to send the money she asks for to a mail drop she supplies. Your grandson Joey is calling. Didn’t he die a few years ago? You can’t be sure; you were never that close to Joey’s side of the family. He begins to tell a sad tale of woe, and it’s compelling so you believe him. You tell him that you’re sorry but you can’t send a large amount, but would $50 help? He hangs up. It may have seemed quite rude of your â€grandson,†to do that, but count your blessings. You could have been scammed. Distant voices masquerading as grandchildren or other relatives might use legal troubles or family sickness or even the death of a beloved pet as ruses in their schemes. Variations can be as ingenious as the human imagination. The bottom line is that stranger’s voice †pretending to be someone familiar †is out to steal your money. It’s happening a lot these days, perhaps more so because of hard times when thieves are looking for easy money. What can you do to protect yourself? The best thing to do is be wary when the phone rings, and if it doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. Hang up. You can also call your local, state, or federal law enforcement agency. But probably the safest course is to educate yourself about phone scams before they happen to you. Learn what tricks are employed. Prevent this sort of crime from happening to you or your loved ones †the real ones. An extra perk arising from such vigilance will be something precious †a renewed peace of mind. But if you were taken in by Sally that first time, try to learn from your mistake. Educate yourself about people like Sally and about their motives so that you won’t get fooled again.
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