Scammed

When I would hear about telephone scams convincing people to divulge confidential information, I’d often wonder, “Who are these silly people and why are they so easily bamboozled?” Last week, I no longer needed to wonder; it was me. A pleasant young man called referencing my high school daughter and her school both by name, reminding me she was about to take the SATs (which she is) and confirming for me that we had organized for her some tutoring (which we had) and further saying he had not heard back from the voicemails he left for my wife (using her name and citing a very probable reality).

It had been a long and heavy week. I was behind on just about everything and hearing that the SAT prep wasn’t paid for triggered my “must I do everything?” nerve. So, when the pleasant, articulate man on the other end of the phone asked me to verify my credit card info so we could get this resolved, I quickly obliged. No sooner did I hang up then it hit me what had happened, and a quick internet search confirmed for me that I had been scammed.

As I quickly locked down my card and began my ninth level of hell (otherwise known as resetting every single password I have), I couldn’t help but feel ashamed. It also made me think about how often sin can begin: a seemingly friendly voice, tapping into familiar and anxiety-provoking things, and promising an easy resolution in exchange for a quick and irresponsible decision.

In this situation, I am pretty sure the guy on the other end of the phone was the one who needed to go to confession. But in other aspects of life and leadership, what are the conditions that make me an ideal candidate for the evil one’s call to sin? When I’m tired or anxious, frustrated or fearful, how do I protect myself from the empty promises of someone who sounds like they have the solution, but are just a scam artist looking to lure me into shame and more bad decisions? How do I call upon the Lord to help me with the multi-factor verification needed to keep me on the straight and narrow?

My family and friends not only helped me with some identity theft protection but also helped me to remove the negative self-talk that the scammer had left me. As we begin this season of self-reflection and repentance, let’s pray to God for the wisdom to understand the times when we are weak and ask His protection from the ultimate scam artist.