And so my husband received a distressed mail a fortnight ago.
It was from a so called naval friend in Indore who had gone for a ship job to
Russia and was now stranded there. He needed help. My husband sent a reply
without delay, “Ok. How can I help you?”
Prompt came the mail, “ I need Rs. 1 Lakh urgently.”
My husband, who has always been a little cautious, chose not
act immediately. And when I returned home in the evening, he related to me the
entire matter over a cup of tea.
Frankly, anybody can fool me easily. But, Rs. 1 Lakh is quite a big amount and this made us
both think. Our friend had long retired from the Indian Navy. And so why should he be called for repair job.
And then it struck me and I blurted, “Don’t reply. Call
him up and check. It seems a fraudulent mail.” My husband also shared the same
view.
The next few days were spent in locating his mobile number.
And today morning, when my husband found it, he called up to confirm. And yes, we were right. Our dear friend was truly upset over the whole matter. He had in the last few days received quite a few phone calls regarding the mail. Worst of all, one ‘very helpful soul' promptly dispatched the amount without cross-checking.
And so since morning I am only thinking about this. We could have easily been a victim, but - 1. The amount asked was quite large 2. My husband felt it important to discuss with someone.
Moral of the story: Never act on such mails without
discussing the matter with family members.
