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Writer's pictureNeal Hagberg

TLC Blog - Is It a Scam Or Is It Real?


Yesterday morning I answered a call.


The person on the other end had unnerving news. Someone had opened a Wells Fargo

checking account in my name using my phone number.


Here is the rest of the conversation:


Wells Fargo (who will now be identified as WTF – Wells The Fargo): “Yes, and there

were three transactions attempted this morning.”


Me (who will now be identified as Me): “I don’t have a bank account at Wells Fargo.”


WTF: “Yes, you do now. Someone opened it this morning. And three transactions were

attempted.”


Me: “But there is no way anyone can get money out of an account that doesn’t have any

money.”


WTF: “It was three Zell transactions.”


Me: “Huh?”


WTF: “Three Zell transactions. One for $2544.96, one for $1478.92 and one for

$990.12.”


Me: “What’s Zell?”


WTF: “It’s an app like Venmo.”


Me: “If I don’t know what it is, I don’t have Zell.”


WTF: “So do you want me to cancel your Wells Fargo account then?”


Me: “Yes, please.”


WTF: “Ok, here is your cancelation number: WTF-Y-U-R-DUPED. Then I’ll connect you

to Zell so you can deal with the three transactions. It’s urgent that you do this.”


Me: “Why would Wells Fargo have access to Zell’s people?”


WTF: “So you can stop the transfers.”


Me: “Out of a cancelled bank account that doesn’t have any money in it?”


WTF: “Yes. Do you want me to connect you?”


Me: “Could you give me their number and I will call instead?”


WTF: “Sure. It’s 844 (---)-----.”


I pause to collect my thoughts….. He had been very nice, and I was truly somewhat

confused if it was real or not. I had been speaking in polite tones and he responded

politely.


Me (still polite and sincere about what I was about to say): “Ok, thanks. I don’t know if

this is real or a scam, and I am aware of phishing attempts to get people’s money. I am

not saying you are or are not a person who is phishing, but if you are, I would ask that

you reconsider what you are doing with your life.”


Click. Guess I got my answer.


Is it a scam or is it real? One doesn’t even know anymore half the time.

Second scenario.


I received an email from a camper who had been here this summer. A camper I hope

will consider someday being an instructor for us. She had just finished her last TLC

camp before she graduates this coming spring. She came with teammates who were

as wonderful as she is. And she wrote us this:


Dear Tennis & Life Camp,


     I just wanted to let you know that your influence doesn’t stop at the doors of

Gustavus. This week, everyone on my tennis team now has smiley faces painted on

their rackets.  And I wanted to say thank you for the past five years of camp, I always

come back from it being not only a better player, but also a better person.  Even though I won’t be able to go anymore, I will always remember the Three Crowns and the

positivity that you spread!


With gratitude,


ACR


She sent it with the photo of her whole team standing around their smiley faced rackets

laid out on the ground. Asking for nothing. Wanting only to give thanks.


Scams are always about taking. Real is always about giving. And we get to choose

which we do.



Here’s hoping Mr. WTF comes to TLC next summer. I believe he has the capacity to

change to be more like this high school player who sees the world with “real” eyes.

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