The message came by e mail.
Betsy, one of the women in my writing group asked me if I would do her a favor.
I emailed back, saying, “Sure; I’d be happy to.”
That was my first mistake. I learned from this experience to never agree to do a favor for someone unless you had an idea of what that favor was.
The return email from her was, “I need a birthday gift for my nephew. His birthday is in a couple of days and we are traveling right now. Will you please send him a gift from us by going to any pharmacy and buying him a “Steam Wallet? It’s important to get the money to him as soon as possible.”
I had never heard of a “Steam Wallet.”
Betsy wrote back that a “Steam Wallet” was an account in a someone’s name that kept money in a safe place until the recipient took the money out of the wallet for a purchase of his choosing.
She requested that I deposit $200.00 in his account, and she would repay me when she returned.
That took me a bit by surprise. Although I know Betsy, I am not a close friend, and see her only at writers’ meetings. We have never socialized, spoken on the phone or served on a committee together. Why would she choose me to ask to do this favor?
And when would she pay me back? We live about forty minutes from each other, and see each other only at the occasional joint meeting. This request was an odd one, I thought. And asking me to pay out $200.00 was quite an imposition.
I was uncomfortable with her request, and annoyed with myself for agreeing to do a favor before asking what the favor entailed.
I didn’t know where she was traveling, but why was it so easy for me to reach her by email? If she was accessible my email, why couldn’t she buy the card herself?
I tried to get out of my obligation to do her a favor by writing back to her, telling her that me husband and I were leaving shortly for a drive to the Delaware Canal for a hike along the Delaware Canal. Therefore, I said, “I will be unable to go out and buy your nephew’s gift.”
But that didn’t stop her. She answered “It’s fine if you buy the card and deposit the money after the weekend.”
But she originally said that it was important to make this transaction quickly so the boy would have the gift in time for his birthday. Now she suddenly changed the story, telling me that it would be fine if I didn’t get it today, or even this weekend.
So I replied again that we were in an area that makes it impossible for me to buy the gift.
She wrote back immediately, saying, “Oh, please. I will wait until you buy it. You can get it on i-tunes or google.Just make the payments in $100.00 denominations..” And she added “I owe you a lot.”
This woman had the most nerve of anyone I had ever met. I will no longer give her petty excuses for being unable to honor her request.
So I wrote back,” Betsy, I am sorry but I cannot do this favor for you.”
And that was that. I felt better for finally being off the hook.
Then Betsy wrote back, “Sorry to say, I’ve been hacked! Hope I’ve ironed things out by now, but favors for someone on email seldom are real, just so you know.”
Apologies,
Betsy
MorristownMemos 
Comments on: "FAVOR FOR A FRIEND" (21)
I was asked to send someone money so they could buy a ticket home from Spain. The request apparently came from someone on my ‘frequent contacts’ list. Three emails, all graphically detailing this poor girl’s desperate plight. I played them along, because they had mistakenly picked out one of my customers’ email addresses, but it was very convincing.
Aha; so you didn’t fall for their scheme? They certainly are very convincing, but the more we hear about people being called with these schemes, the more we will hopefully all be more suspicious! (until they come up with a new one!)
This is a relatively common scam. It’s unfortunate that scammers are everywhere and using trusted family and friends as a front. I wonder how many people get burned by these schemes.
My heart sank as I read this, but I’m glad to hear you weren’t one of them.
Joanne, the craziest coincidence happened just yesterday; A woman with a foreign accent called to warn me about a false charge on my credit card for $999.00! She was going to help me void the charge. All I had to do was provide her with some information… Of course that was nonsense, because if a charge is listed on your credit card you can call the credit card company and they will void it without any question. But those scammers are multiplying, and their schemes are getting more sophisticated.
Watch out, everyone; they’re after you and your money!
I remember our security guy at work saying ‘trust, but verify’. It’s stuck with me ever since. As soon as I get an unsolicited call or unusual email, my guard goes up.
wow thank you for informing us to avoid such an expensive trick calling it a favor
Yes Lynn. There was a comedian who used to say, “No more Mr. Nice Guy!” I think I will join his ranks and not accept any favor-doing from any-one on-line!
Lesson learned.
Yes; now we need a device similar to “Caller ID” but one that eliminates fraudulent calls from coming through on our phone lines.
I had one of these. Never answered it . Glad you didn’t get hooked.
You were the smart one, John. I came awfully close to getting hooked, and I certainly wasted too much time trying to get out of the obligation of buying the birthday present for the Pretend nephew.
You are a good person, Ronnie.
Thanks, John. I try.
I did love the “oh well,” note from your friend.
A very scary story!
Dor, a story like this one is enough to make a trusting human being I not a suspicious one. I guess that means me!
This smacked of scam from the start – whether from Betsy or a hacker
What made me suspicious from the start, Derrick, was that every time I came up with a reason to stop my role in this “gift to the nephew” story, the person on the other end, which I thought was Betsy, came back with a reason to continue. So Betsy was the pushiest person I ever met, or someone else was responding in her name.
Indeed. Well fielded.
Thanks, Ian. We should probably all be suspicious when somebody you barely know asks for money to bail them out of a strange situation.
The apology sounds sincere but you never know, had the same scenario myself with a follower in WordPress that needed $2000 dollars because they were stuck in France, very suspicious, You might find out some facts next time you meet Betsy, cheers.