3rdAge
PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014
All a confidence game Don’t get taken in by scammers TAX SEASON IS over! If that realization shocks you, please stop here and go deal with the crisis that began 11 days ago. The rest of us will begin again: Tax season is over! Maybe it touched you; maybe it didn’t. Maybe you got money back! Maybe you didn’t, but either way, it’s over. Most of us heard about the IRS scam that went around the country like a Kansas brush fire in August. And yes, people got sucked in, and people got hurt by it. And some of us wonder, “Really? How can anyone be that gullible?” Awhile back, a sharp, older gal came into one of our offices with a story. She had recently had a dispute with a Medicare “provider” regarding diabetic supplies that had been sent to her without her permission or request. She promptly contacted the company and refused to pay for something she’d never ordered or requested (Good for her!), and they were “working it out.” Then, awhile back, this same gal got a call from a very pleasant woman who identified herself as an employee of a well-know local bank — specifically, this gal’s bank. The caller asked whether our lady had issued a payment in the amount of $300. Our lady, flashing back to this whole Medicare thing, replied, “No.” The very pleasant woman from the very local bank suggested that the payment really should be made and offered to assist her. By the time the call was over, our gal provided her bank account and routing numbers, both her and her spouse’s mothers’ maiden names, dates of birth, address and (possibly) driver’s license number. And some of us are wondering, “Really? How can anyone be that gullible?” Here’s the answer: In exactly the right (or wrong) circumstances, most of us are. Many of us, especially those of us who have never actually experi-
HELP LINE enced this kind of a scam, imagHarvey ine that we’d know a scam when we heard one. We imagine that the caller (or emailer or whoever) would be a fast-talking hustler, someone who is generally disagreeable, probably a bit rude or hardedged and obviously selling us a bill of goods. The same kind of “somebody” that we’ve had to deal with before, and “you’re darned right I’d know a scam when I heard one.” Wanna bet? These “people” are nice. Friendly. They’re courteous, polite and seem genuinely interested in who you are and how things are going. They’re . . . helpful.
Mark
Ruse of courtesy They’re glad to take the time to talk, to hear about your day or the grandkids or that darned diabetes or your wayward son who never calls or that crazy Medicare or your vacation plans. The terms “con man” or “con game” are taken from the word “confidence,” meaning that scammers win your confidence. How far would these people get with you if they were rude? Or nasty? Or demanding? Or . . . streety? Profane? Or demeaning? Or talking down to you? Not very far, so they aren’t. You like them. You trust them. You just know, intuitively, that they are decent people who are trying to help you. No, they aren’t. They’re predators, and the minute they can talk you out of any of your personal information, they will rob you blind — and laugh about it. Our gal woke up the next morning and realized what she’d done. She contacted her bank, closed her existing account and opened a new one. She contacted Social Security, a pension benefits representative and Equifax, a consumer credit
B5
Briefly . . .
PT history talk to touch on start of arts foundation
reporting agency, to put a “flag” on her Social Security number. After talking, she contacted the Police Department, all of her existing credit card accounts and crime victims’ advocacy. As of this writing, I don’t know whether she was able to prevent serious harm, but I do know she had to go through a lot of hassle and stress. Then, wait. While she beat herself up for being an idiot. She isn’t an idiot. She’s a genuinely decent human being who prides herself on being a genuinely decent human being. She’s courteous, thoughtful, helpful and honest, and makes every attempt to live by the “Golden Rule” — and look where it got her. And therein can lie the rub. What are we supposed to do? Who are we supposed to be? Do we all have to turn into angry, distrustful, suspicious people who think everybody is out to get us? Bitter, closed-up, closed-in shells who hate the world? Oh, I hope not. I guess, to be more honest, I’m not willing to become that. After all these years, I still believe that the vast majority of human beings are genuinely decent people. And I’m happy to report that my experience has borne that out. And I will declare steadfastly that I have no intention of becoming a poor replica of a person whose life is characterized by fear. I also do not pick up hot baking dishes with my bare hands or stick hairpins into electrical sockets. I don’t walk barefooted through broken glass, and I don’t put loose throw rugs on highly waxed wooden floors. And I don’t pull on Superman’s cape or spit in the wind. I tend to think that basic human courtesy is a birthright, but confidence, like contempt, is earned. Be careful.
PORT TOWNSEND — Author Bill Ransom will speak about the cultural climate of Port Townsend in the 1970s that eventually led to the creation of Centrum during the Jefferson County Historical Society First Friday Lecture this Friday. The talk begins at 7 p.m. at historic City Hall, 540 Water St. Admission is by donation, which supports historical society programs. Ransom Ransom wrote that he will “reveal the synchronicity of events and the collaborations of unusual suspects that brought a state park and an upstart startup arts foundation to Port Townsend in the summer of 1973.” Ransom has published six novels, six poetry collections, numerous short stories and articles. For more information, phone Bill Tennent at 360-385-1003.
series, “Birds Out of the Nest,” is June 7. Wiersema will discuss the vulnerabilities, feeding, needs and lifestyles of backyard birds as they leave their nests. The public is invited to attend the series. There is a $5 fee for those older than 18.
Mount Rainier talk PORT TOWNSEND — A geology lecture will be held at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2333 San Juan Ave., from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free, though donations are appreciated. Pat Pringle, associate professor of earth science at Centralia College, will describe geological studies at Mount Rainier and potential impacts of future eruptions. Pringle studies volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides and debris flows using radiocarbon and tree-ring analysis. He is the author of professional papers and roadside geology guides for St. Helens and Rainier. For more information, phone Lys Burden at 360-385-4881, email WPburden@aol.com or visit www.quimpergeology.org.
Car wash on tap
135th anniversary
PORT ANGELES — The Impact Japan fast-pitch team will hold a car wash fundraiser at Domino’s Pizza, 1210 E. Front St., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Pre-sale tickets are available for $10 at Swain’s General Store, 602 E. First St., from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. For more information, phone 360-912-1558.
PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson County Historical Society invites the community to celebrate its 135th anniversary with a day of activities at the Jefferson Museum of Art & History in Port Townsend’s historic City Hall on Saturday. Activities begin at 11 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. The museum also will be open for Gallery Walk from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The party will include free admission to the museum, birthday cake and refreshments, door prizes, opening of the new Museum Shop, unveiling of the society’s new logo and the premiere of the society’s new documentary video, “Saving Stories.” “We are indebted to those individuals who created the society 135 years ago with the hope of preserving the county’s history for future generations, and to all of our members and volunteers who continue to carry out that vision today,” Executive Director Bill Tennent said. Peninsula Daily News
Sounds of spring
SEQUIM — The seventh session of the Dungeness River Audubon Society’s Backyard Birding program, “Enjoying Spring Sounds,” is set for Saturday. Participants will meet at the center, 2151 W. Hendrickson _________ Road, from 10 a.m. to noon. Olympic Peninsula Audubon Mark Harvey is director of Clallam/JefSociety members Dow Lambert ferson Information & Assistance, which and Ken Wiersema will present operates through the Olympic Area Agency on Aging. He can be reached at locally recorded photos, videos 360-452-3221 (Port Angeles-Sequim), and sounds provided by the birds 360-385-2552 (Jefferson County) or 360in area neighborhoods. 374-9496 (West End); or by emailing The program will feature harvemb@dshs.wa.gov. The agency can recent recordings as well as those be found on Facebook at Olympic Area introduced in last year’s program. Agency on Aging-Information & Assistance. The final class in the 2013-14
The New York Times Crossword Puzzle 1
PREDICTABLE PARTINGS 58 One heading to the cape? 59 Kitchen tool 60 The lingerie manufacturer … 63 Queen, e.g. 66 Emulate Harry Connick Jr. 68 ___ City, 1939 film locale 69 The chicken farmer … 71 “___ around around around around” (repeated line in Dion and the Belmonts’ “The Wanderer”) 72 Suffers 73 Supporting force 74 The sound technician … 79 Scale part 80 “The Jungle Book” bear 82 Gala 83 Fund for a third party 84 “Whew!” 85 Faultless 88 Dubai’s federation: Abbr. 89 Maximally hip 92 The film director … 96 Range of understanding 97 Prankster’s patsy 98 Between continents, say 99 Magazine founder Eric 100 Execute perfectly
102 Motivates 106 Some hibernators 108 The soda jerk … 111 Instruct 112 Twosome 113 Comic’s sidekick 114 Free-for-all 115 Trial figure 116 Houston pro, informally 117 Just 118 Showplace? DOWN 1 Pet door opener 2 Roman “of wrath” 3 “Lohengrin” lady 4 Greened up, perhaps 5 Winter vehicle 6 Like many candles 7 Xeric 8 Commercial tiger’s name 9 Oil-spill-monitoring org. 10 Cornmeal dish 11 “Not for me” 12 Trial 13 Word with color or rhyme 14 Origin of a stream: Abbr. 15 The ecdysiast … 16 Birthplace of the Franciscan order 17 The percussionist … 18 Operating procedures: Abbr.
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BY JOHN LAMPKIN / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ ACROSS 1 Docks 6 Fill 10 Where auto racers retire? 14 Bayonets, say 19 “That Old Black Magic” composer 20 Bit of riding gear 21 Big acronym in energy 22 Actress Parker 23 The paparazzo … 26 Día de San Valentín flowers 27 Catchy pop ditties 28 Back from vacation, say 30 “Santa Baby” singer 31 New York City’s ___ River 32 Bad points 33 Division in biology 35 The demolitionist … 40 Fund-raising event 41 Simple tune 42 Roll in a disaster supply kit 44 Christmas wrapper? 45 High-toned 49 U.P.S. driver assignments: Abbr. 50 Knock down a peg 52 Knock over 55 The civil engineer … 57 Grab (onto)
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24 Poet who wrote “So Thomas Edison / Never drank his medicine” 25 Leads, as a band 29 More than snacks 32 In a footnote, say 34 Prefix with -port 35 “St. John Passion” composer 36 Actress Taylor of “Mystic Pizza” 37 Quod ___ faciendum 38 Panel member 39 Twice tetra40 Monk’s grooves 43 “America by Heart” author, 2010 46 Drawn things 47 Polo, e.g. 48 Exclamation said before sticking out the tongue 51 Current amount 52 Prime seating area 53 Kind of tradition 54 William who played Hopalong Cassidy 56 Mend after further injury 57 Mop’s commercial partner 58 Place for a touchdown 60 Bribe 61 Hardly be deadpan 62 Little angels 63 Pratt Institute degs.
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77 Paradox to be meditated on 78 “Little ___’ Pea” 80 Hindu part of Indonesia 81 Have ___ for 82 Tutti-___ 84 The van driver … 86 Capable of handling 87 Horrifying
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64 Bunch of stuff 65 Dickens orphan 66 Two points 67 Baseball great Campanella 70 Political muscle 71 PIN part: Abbr. 74 Basis for promotion 75 Going ___ 76 Mötley ___
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89 The paper doll maker … 90 Baroque 91 Some canapé picks 93 Spot 94 Tremors 95 Cover completely 96 Short strokes 97 Big boo-boo 101 Not relaxed
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102 Religious figure: Var. 103 Simon of Broadway 104 That señorita 105 Victory, to Wagner 107 Hit show sign 109 Fiscal exec 110 One may have a ball at the country club