Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
By Bill Stokes
Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that while the keeper and Phyllis spend too much time on the internet, they have yet to be part of the multibillion dollar scamming of senior citizens that is part of the scene. The fact that the net played an oblique part in the keeper and Phyllis finding each other–no, not online dating, simply coincidental info exchange—may make them more accepting of the vagaries of such things as Facebook and other internet roundabouts.
In 2020, people over 50 lost a total of $1.8 billion to on-line fraud, mostly through stimulus check, sweepstake and romance scams.
Somewhere in the keeper’s files is a certified check for $2,000 which was sent to him some years ago as part of the online sale of a snow-blower. Suspicion was aroused when the would-be buyer had a Hawaii address and would have “his people” pick up the snowblower.
Phyllis is much more computer savvy than the keeper, and she will be assisting him in future on-line activities lest he makes a deal for his Sorrel snow boots with that guy in Hawaii.
