I am a retired musician, age 98, and thought that I was wise enough to avoid being taken by the smart people who steal rather than work. Here is what happened. I was outside cleaning the car when a man approached me with an offer to plant some grass in a number of spots on the lawn. He was a rather large man, dressed in clothes that were a little dirty, wearing a cowboy hat, and talked exactly like people I had met in Texas. He had tattooed the word “DAD” on the back of his neck.

He was extremely friendly so we invited him into the house. That was our first mistake. He wanted $60. He said that he was a neighbor who lived just down the block with his dad. He would not say the number of his house but he pointed it out as being the one next to the house where they had a flag in their yard. He said that his dad lived with him and had a walker like I had, and that he would bring his dad with him when he was working on our lawn. We thought this would be a good idea as we don’t know very many of our neighbors.

He said he needed the money before he would do the work. That was our next mistake. He said that he would write down his work number as a city employee and his phone number. He gave us the paper with what he had written and we took it without examining it thoroughly. Another mistake.

We tried to be friendly, gave him a bottled water and allowed him to use our bathroom. Also we gave him the $60 and he left.

We thought about this for a few moments and decided to go to the house he had pointed out as being his. It wasn’t. We had been taken.

We reported it to the police and they sent an officer out to tell us not to let people in the house. We knew better, but this character put on quite a show with his Texas talk and attitude. It was a good show but not worth $60.

Maybe when I get older I’ll know better. Just a word of warning to your readers.

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Published: April 10, 2014 - Volume 12 - Issue 52