I Almost Sent Money to a Nigerian Prince

Have you wondered who actually falls for those ridiculous scams?  Are people really that gullible and naive?

Well, I’m certainly not. At least, that is what I thought.

I am the daughter of Paula Fargo, the ever so witty and charming mother, best friend, and business owner. And, a recent situation made me think twice about whether or not I could fall victim to a scam.

Because I am doing a study-abroad in Rome for three weeks this summer, I have been bombarded with mounds of paperwork, emails, and information regarding the trip. I received a letter in the mail from Allstate Insurance recently. No big deal, I figured the company was handling the program’s insurance for the students.

I didn’t question the letter…at first.

My mom passed it along to me to deal with because, I mean, it WAS addressed to me, after all.  And, it seemed legit …until I got to the part asking for my middle initial and my social security number.

Wait a second. I’m sorry, what?

I brought this mysterious letter to my mom’s attention and thankfully she took over from there. We found out a few days later that I was being scammed. Through one of my mom’s connections at Allstate, she was able to figure out that this apparently innocuous letter was actually an attempt to steal my identity.

Who would want to steal MY identity? I am a 20 year-old college student.

Interestingly enough, the first thing that came to mind was Rockwell’s 80’s ballad (with Michael Jackson on vocals).

I would like to thank my mom, Michael Jackson, Rockwell, and the almost successful but nonetheless failed attempt from this scammer for reminding me that, although it isn’t a bad thing to have a credulous outlook at times, it is very important to constantly be aware of your surroundings and requests for information (as MadEye Moody used to say, “Constant Vigilance!”).

You never know who may be watching you or want to be you… even if you are a 20 year-old college student.

Guest Blog – Written by: Marni Smith