Beware!

By Susan Knight

I missed my deadline because last night I was back and forth on the phone with my mother and siblings and talking to my children about a crisis that beset my mother.

She was scammed.

Someone called her pretending to be MY son, who is in college. This scammer soaked my mother for a few thousand dollars she did not have to lose, leaving her with only about one hundred dollars in her checking account.

As you can imagine, my emotions have been close to the surface all day today as eight siblings have been back and forth texting--while working--with what's happening and what's to be done.

This could happen to anybody who has compassion and loves her children and grandchildren. It could happen to me. It could happen to you and yours.

Please be vigilant. If anyone calls or emails you and asks you to wire money to a foreign country because they are in jail--hang up or delete.

I've received lots of those emails. I delete them.

My mother truly thought she was talking to my son. She wanted to help him. He told her he would pay her back as soon as he got out of jail. She believed him. My mother didn't want to betray his trust by telling me because he asked her not to.

I am sick about this, as you can imagine. She is embarrassed, humiliated, frustrated. She feels violated, as do I because it was about my son; my son, who was ensconced in finals at BYU this week, and not in jail because of a car accident in Mexico with lapsed insurance.

Like I said, this could happen to anyone. I have let her know that. We siblings have been consoling her all day.

Beware. Please.