Note: Before I go into the details, I want to let you know that I am going to cut back on the number of Blogs I have been churning out of late and focus more on the Book I have been working on – off and on – in regard to Investing. I will certainly do a Blog in regard to the final Presidential Debate and then of course, one on the Day after the November 6th US Election. G.
Now For The Flim-Flam:
I received a telephone call the other morning and it went something along the following lines:
Ring, Ring
Hello? (me)
Caller – “Sir I am pleased to tell you that you have won $3.5 million dollars.
Me – “That is indeed great news – how so?”
Caller – “Your 6/49 win.”
Me – “That is even better news since I do not play 6/49.”
Caller – “Well you won anyway.”
Me – “Great, where do I pick up my $3.5 million?”
Caller – “Not to worry, we will deliver it to you”
Me – “That’s even better – when?”
Caller – “Later Today”
Me – “Why this is great service – what time later today can I expect you?”
Caller – “An hour or so after you send us $75, we need this money to cover the cost of the delivery.”
Me – “Well that is most reasonable, are you sure $75 is enough for all your trouble – I could pay more if you want.”
Caller – “No, $75 is fine”
Me – “Okay, I have that much on me right now so I look forward to seeing you in an hour or so".”
Caller – “You do not pay the delivery person directly, rather you need to get a Money Gramm and send it to the name and address I am going to give you in Sault Ste. Morie.
Me – “Sault Ste. Morie?”
Caller – “Yes Sault Ste. Morie.”
Me – “Just confirming.”
Caller then gives me a name and address in Sault Ste. Morie.
Caller – “How long will it take for you to send the money gramm?”
Me – “Could be a problem – I live in a rural area and do not know where the nearest money gramm centre is”.
Caller – “Go to your nearest Post Office”
Me – “Good idea – there in one close to where I live, so it should only take me 30 minutes - 45 at the most”.
Caller – “That’s great, I will call you back in about an hour to confirm it has been sent”.
Me – “And then I can expect to receive the 3.5?”
Caller – “Absolutely.
I then immediately call the Ottawa Police to let them know this transaction was going down – so to speak.
Ottawa Police – “We really do not get into this type of fraud – you need to call the Province’s Special Fraud Squad Office” - (I am given their number).
I then place a call to Ontario’ Special Fraud Squad Office (OSFSO) – it is a minute past noon, and I get the following recording: “we have all gone to lunch, call back after one p.m.” I guess they expect fraud to take time off for lunch as well.
I call back at a minute after 1 p.m. – (the 6/49 fellow had yet to call be back). I get the following recording “all of our secret* agents are on the phone with others like you who are being scammed…your call is important to us …” (Note * I confess the word ‘secret’ is my own).
Anyway, I wait, and I wait and wait, 45 minutes go by and no secret agent has been available to take my pressing call – all the while – every 20 seconds or so a recording triggers advising me of all of the fraud cases that the OSFSO does not deal with (e.g. employment fraud).
Finally, my call gets answered.
I explain to the nice chap what has transpired and when I finish, he tells me that there is nothing they can do – other than to document my complaint. He does suggest I might want to let the Money Gramm folks know about their service being abused.
I tell the dear chap if he believes Money Gramm needs to hear from someone – it best be him and not me. (I figured at this point I had done my duty).
Before I hang up though he explains briefly to me how the scam works – Victim buys the money gramm and sends it off to the name and address provided him, – the scammers then go into their nearest money gramm office and intercept the payment.
The agent then tells me – by the bye – that the scammer is physically located in Jamaica. The agent knows this because he recognizes the exchange of the telephone number I have provided to him.
I thank him and await the Scammers call.
As if on cue, the phone rings – Scammer “did you send the money gramm?”
Me – “well I got to the Post Office and they did not have money gramms – so I sent a money order.
Scammer – “where did you send it”
Me – “to the name and address you provided to me”
A Pause
And then this …
“You LyAAAAR” …”You –(blank) - LYYAAAAR”
Me – “Does this mean I should not expect the $3.5 million”
Scammer – “Yes”
Me – Oh, by the way, how is the weather there in Jamaica.
Scammer – “Not too bad”.
I hang up.
As I saw it …
‘K. D. Galagher’
