I took the bait and I’m not even embarrassed to say what the bait was.
It was a fishing scam. Not trout, bass, anything you throw back in the water, or cook on the grill—fishing with a “ph.” Phishing.
Phishing is when online fraudsters try to scam you out of money by enticing you to open an email or text without first checking the web address to see who sent it.
It’s a “too good to be true” concept. It’s the powerful lure of F-R-E-E.
The truth is, we can all be hooked with the right bait.
What’s your bait? Sometimes you don’t know what your bait is until it appears on a screen before you.
The husband, who frequently lectures others about not falling for scams, took a tumble himself. The email was from a chain drug store we frequent. The bait was a free Ring doorbell.
The doorbell we have doesn’t even ding half the time. Naturally, the thought of a doorbell that would ding, show who was at the door and record video of people not picking up their dog poo, was simply too good to be true. Is this a great country or what?
He clicked. And then he kicked himself.
A young man we know who is extremely sharp and very tech savvy, fell for free concert tickets.
You want what you want. Somehow fraudsters know exactly what you want.
A friend recently received notice that a package she sent could not be delivered because it was short $1.10 in postage. Concerned that she had sent a package to a loved one that would not be delivered without additional postage, she took the bait.
Hook, line and sinker.
The thing about good bait is that it can stir your heart, spark your emotions and create unquenchable desire that overrides your brain.
The bait that almost reeled me in? Tupperware.
That’s right. I could be bought for Tupperware. A 26-piece storage container set, to be specific.
If I would just take a short survey sent to me by a well-known big box store, I would receive a free set of Tupperware.
Be still my heart.
A 26-piece set of storage Tupperware meant I would organize my kitchen and my life. I would never go to a dollar store again. I would never have to tell grandkids where to dig for the cookies or pretzels again. They would be able to see the cookies and pretzels!
The first question on the survey was a giveaway. It asked how often I shopped at the store. I have their store credit card; they know how often I shop at the store.
After I glanced at the address of the sender, I knew there would be no free Tupperware. (A moment of silence, please.)
One of my most vivid memories as a teen is of my dad sitting at the kitchen table, saying, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Over and over. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”
Or a free doorbell.
Or free concert tickets.
Or free Tupperware.
Sigh.
Some lessons take a lifetime to learn