Over the years I have written numerous news stories about common telephone extortion schemes and local victims. I know the drill. Nonetheless, I got caught off guard.
It was a Friday, the week before Christmas. I was shaking off early morning brain fog, getting ready to go out for an appointment, when the phone rang.
As accustomed, I answered in Spanish: “Bueno.”
A man responded: “Hola. ¿Cómo estás?”
“¿Quién habla?”
“¿No me reconoces la voz?”
The voice sounded familiar. I ventured a guess.
“¿Chilo?”
I had just missed the first red flag.
Please login or subscribe to view the complete article.