The con artists were thrilled when a frail ninety-year-old lady opened the door. But then, behind her, appeared a massive dog named Max…
Eleanor Smith was an elderly but very modern woman. Even at ninety, she chatted with her grandchildren on Skype and paid her utility bills online, saying, “Why should I stand in line at the post office wasting time?”
Eleanor buried her husband twelve years ago. The only living companion in her life was an equally old dog named Max—an unusual name given by her late husband.
Every morning and evening, the neighbors would see Eleanor leisurely strolling with a cane in one hand and a leash in the other. The leash was more for show—Max had never bitten anyone in his life, though he looked quite formidable, especially in his younger days.
Of course, Eleanor was aware that elderly and lonely individuals were often targeted by scammers. First, her grandchildren warned her. Then the local police officer mentioned it. She even read about such cases online. A few months back, a friend had tearfully called to say someone had tricked her out of her “funeral expenses.”
So when Eleanor heard a knock on the door, she was cautious. Standing there were two young people—a man and a woman, around twenty-five. They introduced themselves as social services workers.
“I didn’t call for anyone,” said Eleanor with a cunning gleam in her eye.
“But we decided to visit on our own,” the man grinned widely. “By the way, have you bought anything from the pharmacy this past month?”
“Bought? Of course, I have. At my age, I visit the pharmacy as often as the grocery store! Ninety years isn’t a joke!” Eleanor said. She could have talked for hours about the medicines she’d purchased and their effects.
But the young people didn’t seem very interested.
“You’re entitled to government compensation for your medicine! It’s a new support measure. Let us come in, find your receipts, and we’ll take care of everything,” suggested the woman.
Eleanor smiled inwardly. She recognized this ploy: uninvited guests enter the house, one distracts the homeowner while the other searches the place, grabbing anything valuable within reach.
As soon as the pair entered, the woman asked to go to the kitchen for a glass of water.
“Of course, my dear! And you, young man, Max will keep you company while you wait,” Eleanor smiled.
At that moment, Max entered the room, sleepy but alert to the strangers’ presence. Despite his age, he looked quite intimidating.
Eleanor left the room with the woman. Max approached the young man and locked eyes with him.
“If you rummage through my owner’s things, I’ll bite your head off,” Max seemed to say. The young man was too scared to move.
Unsurprisingly, after this reception, the pair suddenly remembered urgent matters and hastily decided to leave.
“And what about that compensation? For the medicine?” Eleanor asked with a hint of sarcasm.
“We’ll get back to you,” the woman muttered as they hurried to the door.
Eleanor showed them out with a stern look, closed the door, and patted Max. Then she called the local police officer, describing the pair, so he could find out what kind of “social service” they represented.
