The swindlers were thrilled when the door was opened by a frail ninety-year-old lady. But just then, a massive dog named Rufus appeared behind her.
Sophia Palmer, despite her age, kept up with modern times. At ninety, she chatted with her grandchildren over Skype and paid her bills online. “Why should I waste time standing in line at the post office?” she would say.
Sophia buried her husband twelve years ago. The only living being that brightened her life was her old dog, Rufus—a peculiar name her husband had given him years ago.
Every morning and evening, the neighbors would see Sophia walking slowly with a cane in one hand and a leash in the other. The leash was more for show as Rufus never bit anyone in his life, though he looked quite formidable, especially in his younger years.
Of course, Sophia knew that elderly and solitary people like her were often targets for scammers. Her grandchildren warned her about it. Then the neighborhood officer mentioned it. She later read about such incidents online. A couple of months ago, a friend called her, crying, to tell how her emergency fund was stolen.
So when the doorbell rang, Sophia was already on her guard. Standing there were two young people—a man and a woman of about twenty-five. They introduced themselves as social workers.
“I didn’t call for anyone,” Sophia said with a cunning gleam in her eye.
“We came on our own,” the young man replied with a broad smile. “Did you buy anything from the pharmacy last month?”
“Of course, I did,” Sophia replied. “At my age, I frequent the pharmacy as much as the grocery store! Ninety years is no joke!” She could have listed for hours what she bought, which pills she took, and what effects they had.
But the young people didn’t seem really interested.
“You’re entitled to a government refund! It’s a new support measure. Why don’t we come in, and you find your receipts? We’ll record everything,” the young woman suggested.
Sophia smiled inwardly. She knew this scheme: uninvited guests enter the home, one distracts her while the other searches the place and snatches whatever they can.
That’s exactly how it happened. The couple entered the room, and the woman immediately asked Sophia to come to the kitchen and get her a glass of water.
“Certainly, darling! And while you’re waiting, young man, Rufus here will keep you company,” Sophia grinned.
Right on cue, Rufus entered the room—groggy but alarmed by the strangers’ presence. He looked intimidating, even though he was an old fellow.
Sophia and the young woman left the room. Rufus slowly approached the young man, staring intently into his eyes.
“If you start rifling through the owner’s things, I’ll bite your head off,” was what the dog seemed to convey. The young man didn’t dare move an inch.
Unsurprisingly, after such a reception, the pair quickly remembered they had urgent matters and decided to leave.
“What about the refund? For the medication?” Sophia asked with a hint of sarcasm.
“We’ll get back to you,” the young woman mumbled as she hurried to the door.
Sophia escorted them out with a stern gaze, closed the door behind them, and patted Rufus. Then she called the neighborhood officer to report the pair—let them figure out what kind of ‘social workers’ they really were!
