A recent crime in Palos Hills reminds me that while most things change, crime remains about the same.
In this incident, a man met a woman online and arranged to pick her up on Southwest Highway for a night of whatever.
After they spent the night together, police say she relieved the man of his wallet, cash, bank card, keys, cell phone and, to top it off, stole $300 using a mobile payment service (like Venmo) after asking him for the password, which he provided.
This all happened while he slept in his car in a gas station parking lot. Lucky for him he was in the car as he was being robbed or he might have lost that as well.
My immediate reaction was how dumb he must have been to have been ripped off that easily and thoroughly.
Don’t get me wrong. Lots of people today, of all ages, are hooking up online or on their phone. There are dating apps for just about everyone.
Farmers can find willing singles using Farmers Dating, which is modeled on Tinder.
You’re a good Christian? You can look for a faith-based match on Christian Mingle or Upward.
You pray to Allah? Muzz or Arabian Date might help you find the right partner.
You found your soul mate but they died too soon? You can try to connect with another partner at Chapter 2 or EliteSingles.
Gays can hook up using Grindr while lesbians can find a like-minded partner on Her.
So, obviously, there’s a dating app for about everyone.
I don’t know if the gentleman who was robbed used one of these sites or just stumbled across the woman while surfing the net (is that still a thing?)
But he paid a lot for what I hope was a good time.
Palos Hills Police Deputy Chief Anthony Carroccio said incidents like this aren’t uncommon when it comes to online dating. He urged people to be cautious when meeting someone online and avoid sharing sensitive information with someone they don’t know well.
Seems like simple advice. Why would you give your financial account password to someone you just met?
Crimes like this include tried-and-true scams that people fall for all the time.
For example, the IRS calls and threatens to put you in jail if you don’t pay them immediately. They even are willing to accept gift cards. Or they ask for your Social Security number. I did a story once on this very scam and the IRS agent made it pretty clear, “We don’t ask for your Social Security number, we already have it.”
Police are constantly reminding people that utilities and government agencies don’t call asking to be paid over the phone or by gift cards.
When the weather is warmer the con artists hit the streets with scams that range from selling you bogus work like blacktopping your driveway to the so-called ruse scam.
The ruse scam requires at least two con artists. One of the crooks, usually pretending to be a utility worker or municipal worker, diverts your attention while a second crook enters your home and steals whatever they can. Sounds simple because it is and it often works.
So, let the misfortune this poor sap suffered in Palos Hills be a lesson. Be careful with your passwords and don’t fall asleep in your car after a hot date.
Bob Bong is editor of the Regional and Reporter newspapers.