‘I Was Scammed!’
“Do not – I repeat, do not” open an email from me asking you to be my friend! It is a scam!
You are all my friends, my readers.
I received an email about 10 days ago from a lovely lady in my writing group. She is a kind and wonderful person and she asked me to be her friend. Not wanting to insult her, I followed all the questions until the end. Suddenly, at the end, I saw my entire address book printed out in a long column. I suspected nothing, and then it struck.
From all over the United States of America, I heard from friends, family and just plain acquaintances who answered this plea to become my friend.
It said, “Desktop Dating” and “Stanley Greenberg wants to be your friend.” I even heard from an old flame that I dated in the third-grade. I was busy all over the Internet denying this horrible email. I finally learned what a virus is and it was extremely unpleasant.
I accused this nice classmate and she said she was listed by a friend from Pennsylvania. Her address book had been ransacked and she was on the hot spot. I am writing this column as a “disclaimer.” Don’t be fooled as I was. Don’t open this evil email.
Many clever readers were wary of joining social networks and refused to join. Many just ignored it. Unfortunately some people opened it. To them I say “I’m sorry, but I was scammed!”
Guys from the Bronx and Brooklyn who grew up in the 1940s and ‘50s think they are too smart to be scammed. As one of this group I humbly state “they got me!” They came at me through a respected friend and I was a sucker.
Be wary!
Don’t let cute cartoons fool you!
Not every email or spam mail is innocent.
Delete what you are not sure of. Keep up your guard and realize that not everybody loves you and is trying to be nice to you.
“On Guard!” is the motto.
