PoetryMine Poetry Mine

They’re out there in cyberspace
as we all so painfully know,
those who would quickly and eagerly embrace
any chance to relieve you of your hard earned dough,
scammers with no conscience and morals lower than low.
If they can’t steal your cash, your identity will do,
a credit card in your name they’ll be happy to accrue.

Susie was stunned when she checked today’s email,
a hard working single mom with three mouths to feed,
her financial situation was growing monthly more frail.
She read and reread her prayer’s answer indeed,
having won $1 million in a lottery during a time of real need.
Susie’s IP address had been drawn in random selection,
explaining why she had no hint of entry recollection.

The instructions provided were easy, not hard at all,
just click on the link and forward personal information,
include a copy of her ID to claim the amazing windfall.
“But don’t tell anyone” the email said in termination,
“and you must act quickly without any reservation”.
The really happy news is that Susie’s story ends sweet,
her IQ above a watermelon’s, she sighed and pressed delete.

John had lost his job through no fault of his own,
in recessionary times his employer’s payroll had been cut.
He registered online with legit employment sites known,
and soon began receiving emails from jerks anything but.
“Dear Sir/Madam” was always the opening rut,
the sender didn’t know his name, his sex, nor his nation,
but they wanted John to accept a job offer without hesitation.

The “job” involved John’s picking up money transfers,
take his commission and forward them the balance.
Here’s your big chance, John, to join the entrepreneurs,
just click on the link to get scamed in whatever palance.
But fortunately John knew with just a quick glance,
this was an offer he could easily refuse,
it’s not like his brain was taking a snooze.

Then there’s the tragic email from a far away land,
it seems a family of five was killed in a plane crash,
and the father was quite wealthy, you understand.
In the far away bank he had a $10 million stash,
and he had no beneficiary to receive all that cash.
So whatever your name may be, here’s an opportunity,
pose as next of kin, but don’t expect prosecution immunity.

Betty got an email from a “pastor”, a man of God,
who told her “God bless you” eight times or more,
surely he can be trusted, he wouldn’t pull a facade.
The poor man is dying and lay close to heaven’s door,
he didn’t know her, but it was Betty he picked to implore
that she receive his huge inheritance to build a church.
But Betty wisely clicked delete without further research.

Another depressing email was read a day ago by Tom,
the salutation was a cheery “Hello My Dear Friend”.
“And who the heck are you?” Tom thought with aplomb,
as he read an email impossible to comprehend,
saying she too was in the hospital facing her end.
“I’m a wealthy woman, and I want to leave it all to you”
Tom actually got that far before clicking her adieu.

There’s so many variations of these scams on the web,
as anyone who owns a computer is sadly aware.
In tough economic times they’re on the rise, not the ebb,
but we simply need to be smart, we can’t afford to err,
just don’t click on the links and they’ll cause no despair.
There’s an age old adage, trite but true and coined by a wiz
“If it seems too good to be true it probably is”.