“People sure stay busy trying to cheat us, don’t they?”

Time and again you may have heard people say, “An idle mind is a devil’s work-shop!” Well, here’s a little story to illustrate that. Someone cooked up a chain email which has been in circulation since 2004. When you read it today, especially due to the current economic downturn, it sounds plausible [and by that I mean ‘credible’ (not ‘creditworthy’)]. Even more so because 2008 has been rife with scams, frauds, identity thefts, and events that lead to economic gloom, if not entirely spelling doom.

A well-meaning friend is busy cautioning other friends and family on Christmas Eve about credit card frauds through this 4-year old email that begins with, “Be Aware………. Very Important”. The email body describes three different scenes, each one portraying a situation wherein a credit card fraud has occurred – you witness it at the restaurant where you just dined; or find your gym locker open on returning after a workout; or, even while picking up your order at a pizza take-out!

Folks, it is a given… precaution is necessary at all times for all users of credit cards… isn’t that basic?

Break the Chain has offered some sound advice regarding this particular chain email and is worth at least a speed read. Today, many of us who use email are inundated by spam and numerous “forwards”, most quite inane. If we are discerning, we could save our respective nations valuable time and money. At the very least, it would save each of us a lot of grief, but more importantly time otherwise spent unproductively in deleting “forwards”, emptying the InBox, clearing out spam folders; and forwarding these “friendly” emails to hundreds of other unsuspecting souls. People, please be judicious while circulating such emails.

I would refrain from cheating myself of valuable time that could otherwise be put to better use. Here’s an idea… why “forward”, when one could improve on one’s writing skills! Who knows, some budding “author” may even request us to write a “foreword” for their first book! 2009, here I come… Dream on, chitralekhan!  😉

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