Business, Integrity, Quality

Too Good to be True

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Every day we read about another Ponzi scheme which was sold to unsuspecting individuals for amazing amounts of money by self proclaimed “Investment Advisors”. Some of the sums of money, such as in the case of Bernard Madoff, are truly staggering. To have absconded with $65 billion is, to me, inconceivable. Mark Dreier who is only in the hundreds of millions looks like small change in comparison.

In Montreal there is the story of ‘Uncle Earl’ who spent somewhere in the $75 million range of other people’s money living the lavish life, never once thinking that this money actually was not his, but he, of them all in recent times is the one who is the most despicable. To be chasing after widows and old women for their total assets, including visiting them in the hospital to convince them to give him their money, sometimes on their deathbeds, goes beyond words.

The big question is, what is it about human nature that makes one so gullible as to invest such substantial sums of money with only one money manager. We are always instructed to spread the money around, as history has shown us, things are not always what they appear, and they best way to protect oneself is to invest comfortable sums of money in numerous places.

Over the years we have heard of some stunning stories, which leave readers with their mouths agape, of the deceit and cunning used to separate normally intelligent people from their money, the only difference being this time around, that the sums are greater than we have ever heard of before, and the utter gall of the perpetrators to live such openly lavish lives knowing there is no way the money could ever be repaid. How could they possibly expect that they would not be caught?

This note to the blog is short and sweet, and a simple message for all of you, spread your investments around. Do not let anyone convince you that they know better than everyone else. If the market is at 6% and someone offers you 18%, you should question the investment, and question whether or not they are a licensed investment counsellor. Check and see if there any complaints about the person or the firm. Don’t, above all ,allow anyone to bully you about how you should invest your money, and if they do, run.

If someone brags too much about their success, probably it is only in their imagination. Like anything else, usually it is the ones who are bragging who are in fact NOT successful. The ones who truly are, don’t need to brag, they already know.

Consideration, Quality

Courtesy

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An act of respect or politeness, something which is sorely lacking in today’s society. Within the younger generation, there is an extremely strong sense which prevails, namely an acute sense of entitlement, and with this, an idea that they are above manners and good behaviour. Brought up in a time where everything is about money, fame, and image, there is a belief that if one drives the right car, wears the right ‘it’ purse, and sunglasses, with an attitude, then one must deserve the ‘good life’ . Interestingly enough, contrary to what one reads in the trendy magazines, the loud, arrogant behaviour that one encounters daily, regardless of where it is, restaurant, club, shop, good manners are in fact alive and thriving, and as in times past, a regular item among the quiet rich.

For those of you who haven’t quite understood exactly what it is that is in the above paragraph, let me put it into the simplest of terms for you. Good manners are always in fashion, bad manners are not. About a year ago, I coined the phrase’ the bigger the strut, the bigger the loser’ , with that, the bigger the bragger, the bigger the loser. If one has to be always self-promoting, instead of allowing others to do it for you, then something is wrong.

People who are seriously successful and rich have nothing to prove to themselves or any one else, tend to be quiet, polite, discreet, self-effacing individuals.

When one travels and meets interesting people all over the world, and meets some extraordinary people, I can certainly attest to the fact that those who are generally the quietest and most self-effacing, possible with older clothes which are not fashionable, can probably buy out everyone there before they eat breakfast. It is usually the loud lout shrieking for service and carrying on like a bully with the wait staff who has nothing.

A few years ago in London, I was at the divine Nobu in the Metropolitan Hotel eating with the Managing Director and a couple of friends. One well known bachelor about town who is known for his bad behaviour was there, and act up he did. At one point, in a restaurant full of patrons, he started shrieking at the waiter about the appalling service he was receiving, frankly the service there is excellent, the restaurant was full. He threw a temper tantrum and with one sweep of his arm, swept all the dishes from the table onto the floor. Everyone in the restaurant was horrified. Somehow, he actually that behaving badly would elicit better service. He has been banned from the restaurant and from what I understand, several hotels in London for the same behaviour. There is nothing worse than a bully.

If you are out and hear a well dressed woman or man apologise for what is categorised as normal behaviour, you can probably make the assumption that they are excruciatingly rich and well brought up. It is only the poor and arrogant who behave badly.

Take heed, the successful quiet ones are watching you carefully, they may accept the cheque from the nouveau riche social climbing boor for their charity event, they may even put them at a relatively prominent table, but that individual will never set foot in the homes of those they aspire to socialise with, and that, dear readers, is what separates the truly successful from the ‘parvenus’.

So, next time you think you are impressing someone with an expansive show of bad manners, remember, you never know who is watching.

Consideration, Impressions, Quality, Relationships, Socialites

Social Climbers

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Everyone has met a few of them…..you go to a cocktail party, and are introduced to someone who has an inflated view of their self worth, and is constantly looking over the shoulder of the person they are speaking with in case someone more important comes through the door. Some of them are more elegant and discreet than others, and some think they are above it all, and their disgraceful behaviour  towards others is totally normal. Whether or not you are 16, 26 or 60, we have unfortunately all been at the mercy of those who think they are somehow special, and deserve to hob nob only with the rich and famous.

One of the things about growing older (not me, of course!) is that hindsight is truly 20/20. As someone who has met some of the wealthiest and most prominent people in the world, it is fairly hard to impress me, and simply money is certainly not the way to do it. Having grown up in London, my perceptions are somewhat moulded by my childhood abroad.

At recent garden party, one incredibly rude guest RSVP’d, then turned up and took all the fruit from one of the host’s fruit bushes to make jam. She came into the kitchen to survey the crowd, and when she ascertained that there was no-one there sufficiently important for her, off she went, with no thank you, no excuses, other than the fact that she had ‘things to do’. One must ask the following questions…..1. Why did she RSVP to say she was coming.

2. If she had time to drive all the way over, certainly she had time to stay for a cocktail. 3. What could possibly be so important that she should snub everyone in the room by making it evident that she didn’t consider them important enough.4. And most importantly, the hosts had planned their menu based upon the number of guests who had mentioned they would be coming. It is rude and disrespectful to have your hosts provision food and drink for you and then not have the good manners to at least stay a while and participate.

Yes, we all had a truly lovely time, and interestingly the group had no social climbers, so everyone mingled and exchanged ideas and knowledge. Many chairs were exchanged so that people could move about and speak with each other. The sign of a successful party and very generous hosts.

There is some tasty irony in this story, inasmuch as this same ‘turbo-prop setter’ as opposed to a ‘jet-setter’ went bankrupt several years ago and lived at the generosity of several people over the years, yet continued to carry on as if the homes in which she resided were actually hers, instead of the truth, which was that she was actually living at the generosity of her hosts.

It appears to me, that if anyone should make an attempt to be generous, it is her, yet it appears etiquette is something sorely missing in her vocabulary. She has forgotten that she would have been living in the street if it wasn’t for the generosity of others.

Another well known social climber and snob is actually the mistress to a fairly wealthy married man. Seeing her walk down the street with her dark glasses is something to behold, yet many know exactly how her rent is paid, and it certainly isn’t with cash. She has decided that although the man will never divorce his current wife and marry her, that somehow she is special, and deserves special treatment, and only the best. The Hermes bags which are flashed are actually fakes, albeit good ones, the Chanel shoes are also copies, yet the arrogance and attitude of this woman and sense of entitlement are astounding, not to mention  the condescending  way she speaks and actually pronounces when she makes a statement, as if we should actually all be in awe of her.

Another social climber came into a dining room where 20 –25 people were seated, interrupted the speaker and the entire room to introduce her guest, and brag about what function she was coming from. She kept on for at least 10 minutes until the hostess was obliged to ask if they were staying or leaving. Funnily enough, they were actually leaving. Once she checked out the room and decided that there were bigger fish to be had elsewhere, she announced that she had other stops to make and would be running off.  Translation, she was going to the next event to see if the people were more important with her ‘posse’ in tow.

Several months ago, I ran into a woman I have known for over 30 years while  in a shop , after not seeing one another for several years. NOT someone I particularly care to socialise with. I was absolutely interrogated as to what I had been up to and with whom. It wasn’t successful on her part, as I always refuse to participate in the ‘my friends are better than yours’ game. This was actually one of the few times that I was publicly rude to someone. Her loud squeaky voice is jarring, and can be heard across any store. The questioning game was so astounding that at one point I advised her I was late as I was meeting someone at my house to write music, something I have been doing for a very long time, She squealed loudly that she was unaware I had ever done anything artistic or musical in my life, and this was news to her. Enough being enough, I finally turned around and suggested that if she had spent even 10% of the time actually getting to know me as opposed to gossiping about me behind my back, perhaps she would have actually known that I had been writing for years, and that in fact, she might actually have more interesting friends if she actually asked about people genuinely as opposed to always gossiping about everyone behind their back.

She is one of these women who have had the same group of friends forever, and they sit around and absolutely  rip everyone to shreds if they don’t know them, with a self-righteous tone, which is so sad, the joy of life is actually getting to know people from different races and walks of life so that one can learn and appreciate.

I never understood this game.

Young and old, we all face these individuals. Some of us realize who they are and what the game is,and learn to smile brightly while one is being questioned. Others are offended. The big question to ask, is, 30 years on, what on earth has been accomplished by being a rude social climber when decidedly you are in the same place you started 30 years before.

Is there a lesson in this? Yes, open your mind and more importantly use your ears instead of your mouth. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Business, Integrity, Quality

Ethics ……or lack thereof……..

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I recently had a long conversation with a merchant banker who  requested information about a certain company. He was told that their  business practices are unethical, bordering on fraudulent. An example was given, and he suggested that next time he had the opportunity, he  would speak with the Chairman in confidence about it. He was  immediately informed that not only did the Chairman know about these  practices, but that he blessed them.

We are discussing a publicly traded company, on the verge of a major  stock play. Certain members of the executive team stand to walk away  with tens of millions …..

The will to bank millions was too great and he lined his pockets,  knowing full-well that there were many small shareholders who would be  losing out. Sarbanes Oxley and Bill 198 were passed to stop these  practices…but unfortunately there are too few to risk blowing the  whistle and not capitalizing personally.

It will be a very frightening day when the pendulum starts to swing in  the other direction, and the minor shareholders decide that they are  ‘not going to take it anymore’

Consideration, Government, Quality

The Taxman Taketh, and taketh, and……

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One hopes, that in death, the taxman would be forgiving, but it appears that is far from the case. Not only are they not forgiving, but they harass  and intimidate to such a point that it is abominable. Imagine, your life partner for nearly 50 years has died after a long illness, first  your joint bank accounts are frozen, and you find yourself with virtually no way of accessing your money. No end of forms to fill in at the bank, notary, and finally accountants. All the proper documentation produced endlessly, still no way of accessing your cash…months pass, the forms from the banks and government are endless, and it appears the only way to deal with the never ending saga is to hire a notary and have the accountants deal with the government. Income taxes must be filed, forms stating the value of one’s assets, and declarations, will’s to be produced….and ten  months later, when one would hope it was finally coming to an end, the government in their infinite wisdom re-assess the tax forms going back several years, and decide to charge even more tax.

This is the way the government deals with those who are grieving the loss of a loved one.

Do you think this is one isolated case?

Think again.

Over the last year, we have heard of no end of government bailouts for large industry with the excuse that jobs must be saved. No one has actually stepped forward to explain where all the billions of dollars which are being used are coming from. Senior executives in some of these corporations are giving themselves huge ‘retention’ bonus’ to stay, in the very companies they have pillaged and destroyed by their greed. We hear of isolated cases of lawsuits against the senior executives, but for the most part, the populace is remarkably silent. Why you ask?

For the simple reason that they are being bombarded with tax bills by the government and are scrambling around stressing out trying to figure out where that extra $2000 or $5000 is coming from when they are already stretched to the limit.

In the last year, I must have spoken to 50 people who are being re-assessed for taxes, which, in many cases were prepared by accountants and not the individuals themselves. Every myriad of additional taxation, estate tax, income tax, re-evaluation of past taxes, revision of deductions, RRSP’s, and more. In every case, the person I have spoken to is quietly freaking out as they paid a professional to prepare their taxes, and they are being re-assessed, and are under the impression that they are the only one.

The man who owns a sun tanning studio who has had a ‘life style’ audit.

The decorator who was obliged to give up his fabulous office of 30 years due to a huge back tax audit.

The small business owner who discovered his accounts were seized, and had no way to pay his employees.

The telecommuter in the IT industry who has to provide proof that the portion of his home is a certain percentage of overall square footage, and is not used for any other purpose.

The consultant who is being audited for having a smaller than usual income tax return.

The widow.

The homeowners renting out a couple of rooms in their huge empty house as a way to help pay the escalating property taxes.

The retired couple living on an increasingly small budget as their investments are losing money instead of providing an income stream.

These people are typical individuals from every walk of life, eking out a living the best they can in a world recession

It is time to speak out. We see and hear about every sort of protest except taxation. Taxation which was originally a temporary thing, and which now puts people in jail or on the street when the government seizes their bank accounts, property and wages. No consideration whatsoever as to the damage they are doing to  the credit records of the hundreds of thousands of individuals they are assessing, many times it is inaccurate, but the damage they cause is irreparable.

You are NOT the only one.

The only way this problem will go away is if everyone speaks about it openly and agrees that this strong arm approach has to stop.

Suggesting that law abiding citizens who have paid for an accountant and are being re-assessed are ‘dead-beat’s’ is neither attractive nor the truth.

Impressions, Privacy, Quality

Customer Loyalty Programs

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……fabulous or an invasion of privacy?

They are a double edged sword.

Companies are convincing their clients to sign up for all sorts of Customer Loyalty Programs ostensibly to reach certain levels and receive gifts or free travel. In exchange, companies are collecting extensive experience on their clients buying habits, from restaurants, travel, pharmacy, clothes and groceries, which they are then mining for trends. If a client consistently purchases expensive clothes, then their information is sold to third parties for cash and the client is solicited by other companies for credit cards, cars and other products. Although in the last few years it has been mandatory to request permission to share the information, it is not always the case. This crosses and interesting line between misuse of information and invasion of privacy, in many cases, both personal and corporate.

In days of old, there was an interpersonal relationship between merchant and client, where the client would ask the merchant to please advise them of certain items coming into the shop, or sales.

Some people I know put every possible expenditure they can on their corporate credit card in order to collect travel points, and then use the points to travel internationally for free,  which can be an interesting compensation for someone who travels extensively on company business. Other people use their credit cards for everything from groceries to gas, and collect points.

In the electronic age, there is no such thing as privacy, the more information is collected, the more is known about you. A lot of people use the argument, ‘I have nothing to hide’, however, that is not really the case. Do you really want someone, unknown to you, to be able to do a lifestyle analysis on you and track your purchases, travels and buying habits?  From personal hygiene products to drugs?

Do you really think it is a good idea for strangers to be able to mine your life and find out what doctors you visit, what stores you frequent, what restaurants you eat in, and how much you spend on groceries versus restaurants every week?

One frightening bit of information which is unknown to most people, is that the credit bureau also hosts all the insurance data, so, it is not a large stretch of the imagination, to envisage the day when one required to fill in an application form for a loan, and be obliged to allow the insurance information to be provided as well. Think about it. The next step after that is job applications where this information must be provided. Then what?

Big Brother is Watching.

Consideration, Impressions, Quality, Relationships

The Dating Game

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There have been more books and articles written on this subject, being that it effects both sexes equally. How to find a Millionaire, How to know if He/She is Cheating, an overabundance of “How-To’ sex manuals, and of course more romance novels than one could ever imagine, and of course, love songs.

Common sense seems to go out the window where love is concerned. No matter how brilliant someone is, love turns this giant genius with an over the charts IQ to mush. In our lifelong quest to find the perfect partner, we tend to overlook what, to our friends and families, turn out to be the monumental flaws of the loved one, and the list of horrors applies equally to both sexes. Members of the ‘fairer’ sex can be so cruel, manipulative, scheming and downright dishonest that it is unbelievable.

Take one successful businesswoman, quoted internationally with press coverage which is amazing, she has mastered the art of re-stating works of others, then promoting them as works of her own. Her Rolodex (using the expression to make a point) would put most senior executives to shame, all brightly coded as to their level of usefulness. Ministers, Presidents, Socialites, Members of the Press, they are all cleverly encoded. The level of Military Style precision in knowing how to network in order to meet her prey is something that most military strategists could use as a ‘how to’ guide. She has had multiple affairs and marriages, and has continued numerous affairs throughout her marriages and relationships, and in fact slept in one bed with one man, got up in the morning, went to the courthouse and married someone else. Yes ,you did read correctly, went home to bed with her current man, got up, changed and went to marry someone else. Boyfriend was called throughout the day by friends asking what was going on, and subsequently had the news confirmed in the press. He unfortunately suffered a nervous breakdown, his friends were horrified. Within months of her marriage, she was having steamy affairs with a myriad of other men, some single, some married, all extremely wealthy, including one older titled one in France. She continued her research, not happy with her latest husband, and met her new victim . She detailed his friends and lifestyle, associates, clubs, interests and habits with a fervor  which was unmatched. He was married, and living a very public life with his current wife. She was able to be introduced to them at several affairs, and flirted madly with him, snaring her latest catch. A very, very rich large catch. Will this marriage last?  The question blows in the wind. The only thing she is now missing is a title, and it is believed that through her international contacts, she is keeping that option open.

Another local socialite who was seeing more than one well-heeled gentleman, decided that it was time to settle down, she gave them all the same ultimatum, at the same time, propose or leave. One unfortunate lad was truly in love with her, but not in a position to propose, he left on a business trip for a couple of weeks, and returned to be told that she was engaged to someone else, and the Banns had been posted in the church, the announcement in the newspapers, the invitations and wedding venue chosen. When he explained that he hadn’t formally proposed, he was actually threatened by the ‘lady’s’ father with a lawsuit. He went through with the wedding. Within a year, his loving bride discovered that although he was famous, he was not financially very viable. She began a series of affairs and promptly divorced him and married someone else, much higher up the food chain. This time however, her mother had done careful financial background checks to ensure that he was as wealthy as people thought.

She has had extensive facial and body re-constructive surgery, and has created a beauty, unrecognizable from her previous self, combined with her extraordinary PR in international magazines, she has mastered the art of re-invention. She has re-located to London and is also seeking a husband with a title and a family seat. The storm of PR is amazing. The reality of her true self is astounding. A very middle class background, no formal education to speak of, totally re-invented family tree. One has to ask oneself, if these highly successful business men know to what extent their wives manipulated them to become their wives, or do they only see the trophy wife on their arm and are oblivious to the rest.

One flak suggested that a lot of these men are total predators in business and are flattered with all the attention bestowed upon them with these women. The pre-nup out the window in many cases. Some of these women will do whatever is necessary in order to acquire the wealth.

All this brings me to one last anecdote…of an overweight socialite who met the partner of a large legal firm at a dinner party, only to discover that he was single, wealthy, and had properties scattered about the globe, albeit 25 years her senior. She threw herself at him and made herself available to him for social events and dinner parties. When his health took a turn for the worst (it was well known that he was ill) she made her way to the hospital to sit at his side and never left. She expressed her love to him and how much she wanted to be his wife, so the minister was sent to the hospital room and they were married. He lived on much longer than the six months to a year that was expected, and her unpleasantness towards him was horrific. She was secretly hoping he would die as soon as they were married. She now lives in his spectacular home and lives the jet-set life, wintering

in the island home, summering somewhere else, and jetting to Europe at a moment’s notice.

Due to the speed to the wedding, there was no pre-nup.

So is there such a thing as true love? Absolutely. And it is something that occurs when one least expects from the person you least expect if from.

People who fall in love for all the right reasons have no reason to cheat, lie or cat around, as they know that they have found  perfection, which doesn’t necessarily have the biggest bank account or the best looks. Look around you and see the older couples holding hands and smiling at each other, they may know the secret of life.

Consideration, Impressions, Quality

Telephone Etiquette

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There is nothing more infuriating to me than someone who insists they absolutely, positively, must speak to me urgently at the office, who have associates interrupt what I am doing to take an ‘urgent’ telephone call from someone soliciting me because they have decided I MUST have the product they are selling. From Financial Planners, Insurance Agents, Computer Repair companies, Charities, Telephone and Internet providers offering great deals (why didn’t they offer the great deal when you signed up originally?)  My immediate reaction to these individuals is to tell them to remove my name from their list and never call again, ever.

Perhaps (probably) I am old fashioned, but as a customer, I should be able to decide what I want, when I want it, from whom I want it, and when I want it, and not have an overly aggressive telemarketer make that decision for me.

The most hilarious ones are those who, when hearing a female voice, order you to pass the call to the President of the company. .My response, ‘How may I help you?” then more aggression…..and insistence that they speak with the President.One went so far as to ask for my name and threatened to report me to my supervisors, I continued to politely inquire who was on the phone, the reason for the call, the name of their company and then their supervisor. More screams. I finally let the abusive telemarketer that I was the President of the company, and this behaviour was not acceptable.

The best sales individuals are those who ask if it is convenient to speak and if not, when it would be appropriate to follow up. Let the client set the parameters.

One can argue vigorously on both sides of the equation, that timing is everything. You could miss that golden opportunity when someone else gets there first and makes the sale of the century. Unfortunately, the flip side is lurking in the background, the client finds the calls annoying and requests that you never call again, when do you draw the line?

With email, voice mail,  Blackberry’s,Iphone’s, and all the various and sundry communication devices available today, a remarkable number of people have completely forgotten about etiquette. If someone calls you, regardless of whether or not you think you want to speak with them, RETURN THE CALL. You never know. Someone could be trying to sell you a service or product you don’t want, take the call, politely spend one minute with them and give them the benefit of the doubt. Then, in the event you are not interested in them or their product, advise them that it would be a waste of time to call again, and as everyone’s time is valuable, it would be in everyone’s best interest.

We call people all the time, sometimes it is for references, information, product information, or to follow-up on a referral. It is incredible the number of people who don’t have the common courtesy to return the call.

We have discovered over the years, that it is one of the easiest ways to establish their actual level in a company and relative salary. Our rule of thumb now is that the more easily accessible someone is, the higher up the food chain they actually are. The more difficult they are to reach by email or telephone, they are trying to show the world how important they are and how busy, but in fact they are low level managers on the fast track to nowhere.

We hear that in the world of dating, people now leave voicemail messages that they don’t want to continue their relationships, and ‘have a nice life’ …which is the height of disrespect. If you no longer wish to be with someone, and have shared time together, do the right thing, and speak to them in person and tell them, even if the conversation becomes unpleasant. You never know where or how you will run into the person in the future.  If you once cared about them, and things have changed, it is no reason to be rude.

In the world of social climbing, it is also the new way for people to cut out those who they no longer deem to be socially acceptable. There are endless stories of people being un-invited to events and the message being left on voice mail. Would you like it to happen to you? Do you REALLY think you are that special?

Don’t ever forget, what goes up comes down even faster, harder and messier…..it can be your social life, career, anything, and people do remember rudeness, and as is human nature, it will be their great pleasure to give you back what you gave to them…..

Consideration, Impressions, Quality

Honorifics

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Miz, Miss, Misses, Mister, Doctor, Sir, Madame, Your Honor…these are titles which were created for a reason..try to remember that, and use them as appropriate.

In Europe for the most part, people continue to use and honor titles, and are in fact still fairly awed by them, however in North America, everyone seems to wish to show how equal they are, even when they are not.

There is nothing more unpleasant than a shop clerk, telemarketer, customer service representative,

receptionist, condescending gate-keeper at a restaurant, who takes it upon themselves to call you by your first name. As the CLIENT, if strikes me that it is my choice by which title I wish to be addressed, not them. Furthermore, abbreviating my name and calling me ‘ROZ’ is the rudest one can possibly be. I am not, have never been, will never be, ROZ, but it is amazing the number of service people who have taken it upon themselves not only to call me by my first name, but to abbreviate it as well.

If someone has spent most of their life getting an education, they don’t want to be called ‘Dave’ if their name is David and they are a medical doctor, likewise the judge who finds himself being called by his first name in a shop after the clerk has seen his first name on a credit card.

I have experienced former Prime Ministers being approached by total strangers who address them by their first name and spoken to totally casually, although they have never met.

Take note folks, there are a lot of us out there who find you offensive. We pay your salary. If we become insulted enough, we will take our custom elsewhere, and you will be out of a job.

Privacy, Quality, Reading

Credit Card Hoax= Buyer Beware

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Over the years I have spoken to people endlessly about the abuses of privacy and credit, and the incredible damage which can be done  which is practically impossible to un-do.

Privacy, and the abuse of personal information, credit card and identity theft are running so high the banks and credit card companies are seeking any excuse to put the blame on the innocent victims.

A couple of months ago, there was a contest which looked like it was from a particular bank, so a young lady (20) filled in the information online and then never heard anything again. A couple of weeks ago, she received a telephone call informing her that she had won a trip to Florida and a tour of the Universal Studios….as you can imagine, she was thrilled, and, when they gave her the last 4 digits of her credit card number, she was more than happy to provide the balance of the numbers, as well as the security code. Her limit being too low, she quickly offered up another credit card to cover the balance of the deposit which was required. She called the office to speak to her father, and upon hearing the details of the trip, as well as the way in which the credit card information was taken from her, I quickly told her that she had been scammed, and that she should cancel both credit cards as fast as she could. By the time she called the 2 credit card companies, the amounts had been put through, and she was in fact, over her limit on one of the cards. We quickly brought her to the police station to fill in the appropriate forms, hopeful that her money would be returned by the 2 credit card companies.

NOT THE CASE.

As she had willingly provided the security codes, the companies said that there was nothing they either would or could do. It was now firmly on HER shoulders, and although she reported the incident instantly as well as going to the police, she was at fault. She is 20. How can an honest, hard=working student hope to pay this money back?

Through no fault of her own, she now risks bad credit to pay back a fraud.

Something wrong with this picture.

Last autumn, I was also the recipient of a similar telephone call. The timing was interesting, as I had recently spoken to a group about the very subject, and not a week later I received a call telling me that I had won a cruise!   As I rarely enter contests, it sounded a bit strange. The fact that there was no name on the telephone under call display as well as a strange telephone number on the display, made me doubt the caller. It also sounded like a telephone call center in the background, too many voices, too animated, but, WOW! Was the caller smooth. He identified himself as ‘Jason” and told me I had won a cruise, and required a valid credit card number to process my trip. I told him that I don’t have one. He then proceeded to argue with me saying that he knew I had an ‘emergency’ credit card number, and that he had it on file, so would I confirm it. I laughed and told him that he should tell me which credit card number he had, as it had been 15 years since I had a credit card. He was amazingly smooth on the telephone and laughed me off, saying that he knew I had a ‘secret’ credit card for travel and we both knew about it. I kept asking him what credit card it was and he kept changing the subject. He was incredibly well trained at the art of turning a conversation around. He kept insisting that I had a  secret credit card ,and that he needed it as a security deposit incase I had a ‘rock star moment’ on the cruise and trashed my room, so that they were covered. I finally told him that as far as I was concerned, the call was a hoax, there was no cruise, I had not entered any contests, and he was not getting a non-existent credit card number, and he hung up the telephone.

Two nights later I was at an event, and one of the participants came running up to me to thank me for my constant discussions of fraud and credit card abuses, she is a retired woman in her 80’s who lives alone, and she had received the same telephone call, they had been equally charming with her on the telephone and she went along with the call ….until she hung up the receiver and realized she had been scammed. She immediately rang up the credit card company and cancelled her card, and thanked me profusely for discussing the issue relentlessly. She actually got to the credit card company before the charge was put through, and was saved. Unfortunately, in the case of our pretty 20 year old, she lost her money and the credit card company told her that because she willingly gave out her codes, they wouldn’t do anything about it, she would have to pay the money. Even though it is fraud, and she has a police report.

Be careful out there folks, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If someone calls you saying you won a contest and requests your

Credit card information, do the smart thing, ask for their name, company name and telephone number and check them out. Chances are, they will either hang up on you, or give you a number which is not ever answered,, and that will be your proof of fraud. Report them to the police regularly, that is the only way this illicit behaviour will stop.

Trying to get perspective