Tag Archives: being careful

Travails

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            I thought I was smart enough to recognize a scam.

            Many times I’d hung up on potential scammers. My favorite: a man pretending to be my grandson asking for money. First of all, my grandson doesn’t speak with an accent and definitely doesn’t sound like an old man. That was an easy one.

            I’d fended of many calls pretending to be from Microsoft or the bank or a credit card company.

            For months warnings have appeared whenever I was online, threatening that one account or another would crash it I didn’t do something immediately. I ignored those as well.

            But when my computer crashed, giving me a robin-egg blue screen, I didn’t know what to do. Two of my neighbors are IT specialists. Neither were home. I tried shutting down my computer, but upon restart, the blue screen was still there.

            I called my son-in-law, who knows more about computers than I will ever know. Because I couldn’t share the screen with him, I had to take photos with my phone and text them to him.

            He suggested not just shutting down my computer, but unplugging it. I did so. Waited an appropriate amount of time. Restarted. The blue screen was gone. For one day.

            When it appeared the second time, I received a phone call from Microsoft Security. I was skeptical, but it seemed legitimate. They knew stuff about me. My SSN, DOB, and even credit card. I did what they said. They transferred me to the FTC, where I spoke with someone claiming to be an Officer. He gave me a case number.

Meanwhile my husband visited the bank. I am so glad he did that! We had no idea how deep these scammers were into my computer and our finances.

            The blue screen went away. For another day.

            Another phone call. The voice sounded familiar. By now I am scared. They know everything about me. SSN, DOB, home address. Even my oldest son’s name.

            When they asked for a cashier check to safeguard my accounts, I knew this was a scam.

            Fortunately I had already begun changing passwords. I’d filed complaints with two federal agencies. After the second call, and then a third, I filed complaints everywhere I could.

            I still don’t know ow safe we are.

            My computer has been cleaned up. Five viruses had been found. Several connected to the dark web. They were deeply embedded in my computer and hadn’t been stopped by either of the antivirus programs installed.

            I’m sharing this as a cautionary tale.

            If you get that blue screen, take your computer in for a cleansing!

            Don’t try to fix it on your own.

            Don’t talk to anyone who claims they are from a know company.

            Please be smarter than I was.

  Little Red Revisited

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Little Red didst blithely skip

in forest deep and dark.

Forgetting all had been warned

laughing as if on a lark

She swung her basket to and fro

not looking through her eyes,

for dangers hidden in the trees

not thinking about a disguise

Upon a hunter meek and mild

Little Red didst soon arrive.

With clear blue eyes she smiled

At him, so sweet, so clear, so alive.

He spoke of peace and gentle things

and she didst fall in love.

He promised not to hurt her heart

and swore to God above.

Red knew him not, but answered yes

despite what she’d been told.

And so struck out on her own

with step both confident and bold.

Ignoring signs of pending doom,

Red whistled as she skipped.

Right up to Grandma’s house

and in the door she slipped.

In bed poor Grandma slept

with fever and with cold.

Red tiptoed up to see her eyes

and Grandma’s hand to hold.

“What big eyes,” Red declared

when Grandma didst awake.

“To see, my dear,” she replied

and took a bite of cake.

“What big teeth,” Red did say

when Grandma opened wide.

“To chew, my dear, these lovely

cakes,” she sneakily replied.

“What furry arms you have,”

said Red, “but I remember not

when didst thou grow such

lengthy hair could be tied in a knot.”

“It keeps me warm on winter’s eve,

and dry during a spring rain.

I’d love to hold you in my arms,

to cradle you once again.”

“No, thanks,” said Red for she did see

that things were not all right.

For Grandma dear was way too dark

even in such poor light.

“I think I’ll go,” Red didst say

and hurried toward the door.

“You shall not go,” Grandma declared

and sprang feet on the floor.

She threw off her cap and gown,

revealing a wolf-like shape.

Red didst scream and run about

attempting to escape.

The wolf didst flash a mighty smile

and throw his arms out wide.

Intending to capture Little Red

without wasting even one stride.

Suddenly there didst appear

a man both tall and strong.

Red ran to him and told her tale

so he could right a wrong.

Listen now for you shall hear

the moral of this tale.

Go careful through yon forest deep

and whilst skipping through a vale.

Rescue might not come your way.

To perish could become your plight.

Unless you’re careful to observe

even on the darkest dark night.

While Little Red didst escape

and her story she soon didst tell.

You must listen and take care,

so for you things will go well.

You cannot walk and prance about,

with head adrift in the skies.

For on you might come, like to Red,

a murderous surprise.

Beware, my child, of strangers met

in forest, field, or glen.

For they might be a dangerous sort,

then we’ll not meet again.