I recently received an authentic-looking text from the United States Postal Service. I was told that a letter addressed to me had the incorrect zip code. Please type “Y,” close the message, and then re-open it. I did.
I came across a link asking for me to fill out my name, address, zip code, and phone number. I was dubious. An unrequested message asking me for all of this information was a prescription for identity theft. I gave my correct address (post office box), and intentionally made some typos to my email address and phone number.
After I entered this information, the next screen told me there was a small charge for the redelivery. A charge of $0.3. It didn’t say $0.30, or 30 cents, but $0.3. And in order to pay this fund it asked for my credit card information.
Now I was more than 99% certain that this was not what it appeared to be. I closed the link and was glad I hadn’t given correct information previously.
When I closed the link, the original text message deleted itself. Very strange.
While I’m used to several scams, this was a new one, at least to me. If I’m getting these texts, probably some of you are too. It doesn’t have anything to do with gambling per se, but not losing money to identity theft counts as bankroll just as much as hitting a royal flush.
Since my first “blog” this time was too short, I’m adding another short one.
A Certain Aptitude is Required
Bonnie and her daughter Susan went on a seven-day Mexican Riviera cruise aboard the Norwegian Bliss over Thanksgiving. Bonnie and I had gone on a five-day version of the same cruise aboard the same vessel about one month earlier.
Because she’s cruised a lot since we married 10 years ago, Bonnie has a Sapphire card. This is a tier level possessed by fewer than 10% of the passengers. And, just like in casinos, higher tier levels get more benefits than lower tier levels. Since Susan has not cruised a lot on Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) vessels, she gets fewer benefits. After Bonnie’s and my cruise, I emailed both ladies instructions as to how to work the NCL system.
Even though she has been on a lot of cruises. Bonnie lets me do all the arranging on the cruises. She trusts that I will take care of her, which I do. Susan was an appropriate caregiver on the cruise but doesn’t have the experience to get the most benefits. She could wing it, and they’d have a good time, but my goal was to educate them on the ins and outs so they could have an even better time.
One of the benefits Bonnie is entitled to and Susan isn’t is a 90-minute “Behind the Scenes” tour that usually begins at 9 a.m. on the first sea day. It varies, but often includes the laundry, the galley, and dressing rooms backstage of the main theater. Bonnie and I both went a month previously and thought Susan would enjoy it. I think they offer a similar tour for everybody at $150 per person later in the cruise.
So, in my email I explained that when they boarded the ship they should go to the CruiseNext desk and sign Bonnie up for the tour. Once Bonnie presented herself at the CruiseNext desk on the day of the tour, they would give Bonnie a sticker to put on her shirt or jacket. Bonnie should take that sticker, go somewhere out of view of the people at the desk, and have Susan affix it to her own shirt or jacket. Then Bonnie can occupy herself for an hour and a half while Susan takes the tour. I told both ladies to make sure they had closed-toe shoes, which are required for the tour. I also told them how to sign up for specialty dinners, shows, and the officers’ dinner.
On the Sunday they got to the ship, they called me to let me know that they arrived, were aboard, and happily looking forward to their adventure. They told me they did everything I listed in my instructional email except they couldn’t get Susan on the tour.
“Why not?” I asked.
“When I asked them if I could get a sticker and then give it to Susan, they said ”No,” Bonnie replied.
“You weren’t supposed to ask them. You were just supposed to do it. That’s why I told you to give the sticker to Susan out of the sight of the employees at the desk.”
“I guess we didn’t completely understand that part.”
In casinos, I have “worked the system” for decades. It’s a necessary part of succeeding at gambling. While I’m sure my instructions would have been very clear to most readers of this blog, neither Bonnie nor Susan think like a winning player does. When in doubt, they simply tell the truth and ask permission for everything. Oh well. Susan likes to sleep in on vacations, so she considered the loss of the tour to be no big deal.
