Open Mike:
Don’t Let Yourself
Become a Victim
By By J. Michael Whalen
Staff Writer
8/18/11
A recent e-mail from Fire Chief Jack Grant got me thinking about how common sense and a sense of personal responsibility can help people avoid becoming victims of scammers.

The chief forwarded a message from the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts, which had received a voice mail from the 809 area code. According to the e-mail: “The woman said, ‘Hey, this is Karen. Sorry I missed you – get back to us quickly. I have something important to tell you.’ Then she repeated a phone number beginning with 809. We did not respond.”

The association subsequently learned that it was scam. The e-mail goes on to say: “The 809 area code is located in the Dominican Republic; the charges afterward can become a real nightmare. That’s because you did actually make the call. If you complain, both your local phone company and your long-distance carrier will not want to get involved and will most likely tell you that they are simply providing the billing for the foreign company. You’ll end up dealing with a foreign company that argues they have done nothing wrong.”

The funny thing is, that’s probably true – technically, at least. As the association’s e-mail points out: “You did actually make the call.”

Anyone who makes money with such a ploy should be punished if at all possible. It’s devious. It’s completely reprehensible.

That said, why would you call someone if they were calling from an area code you know isn’t theirs?

Clearly the scammers in this case are banking on the fact that people live extraordinarily busy lives. They figure many people have a relative or close friend called Karen, which is a common name, and hope that those receiving the call will return it immediately without giving it any thought.

People don’t always stop to think these days. That’s becoming a real problem.

Consider this: The Fire Chiefs Association didn’t fall for the scam. Why should anyone else?

A person receiving this voice mail should hit their inner “pause” button and think: “Hmm, Karen doesn’t live in the 809 area code. What’s up with that? Come to think of it, that doesn’t even really sound like Karen.” He or she should probably try contacting Karen at a number that’s known to be safe. Then, if a second call is made, it should probably be to the police.

Such scams are all too common these days. Most people’s electronic mailboxes have been hit with messages that say something to the effect of, “Hi, I’m vacationing in Europe and lost all of my money and credit cards. If you send me $1,500 immediately, I’ll pay you back as soon as I get home.” Or the message might suggest that the individual in question has been jailed and needs bail money.

Half the time such messages come from people whose names you don’t recognize. If that’s not a telltale sign that the e-mail should be deleted immediately, I don’t know what is. But even if it comes attached to a name or e-mail address you know, it probably means you should call that person to tell him/her that the account has been hacked (which is something he/she might already be aware of by the time you receive the message).

One of the worst practices designed to take advantage of people these days is so-called predatory lending. That’s when a lender provides a mortgage to a person who has little or no chance of paying it back. The lender takes advantage of that person’s dream of homeownership by making it look as though the loan might actually be affordable. Often the victims lack formal education or are unsophisticated in some way.

Like the aforementioned scammers, predatory lenders are unscrupulous. But are they breaking the law? Not always. And the simple truth is that people should know whether they can afford to take on a mortgage. No one can be forced to sign on the dotted line and no one needs to end up in a situation where they can’t repay a loan.

People need to be responsible in their actions. They need to use their best judgment before they act. If they do these things, scammers won’t have a leg to stand on.