May 4, 2017

I recently heard a story that a friend of a friend had a kitchen installed. The kitchen installer then sent his final invoice by email. The email was hacked and the invoice altered such that the account and sort code were changed to a Nigerian account. Unsuspecting any problem the recipient of the invoice paid on line to this now altered bank account.

All was quiet until the kitchen company asked where the money was? Eventual investigation revealed that the money had been paid into a ‘new’ account and that the kitchen company had indeed not received its money. I’m not sure where the impasse has got to but you expect that the owner of the kitchen may have to pay twice.

So be cautious in paying direct on line against an invoice received by email. Maybe my chequebook isn’t completely obsolete yet? Isn’t it about time that some form of cyber security initiative controlled Nigerian email? Not only is there this horror story but also we all suffer from junk mail; should you be unlucky enough to click their attachment or links it will expose your computer to fraud. Always check the address of the email sender – on junk mail it is usually some nonsense and not PayPal, a bank or whoever it purports to be from..

The family suspects that it is a toss up whether my being in the company of small children or dogs is preferable. This is very unfair but probably true. However, I am not cruel and when I visit Wales to see my sister then I diligently walk the dog – Blossom (…don’t ask).

I might have been more positive about dogs were it not for the modern etiquette that demands scooping up its droppings wherever it might randomly deposit them. The old days of leaving it anywhere weren’t good – I remember a long bus ride home from central Leeds to my home in the country with smears of it on my leg, this happened when I was nine and may explain a lot! Anyway me and Blossom had a nice long walk and usually she keeps any surplus until she gets back to the house and drops a load on the back lawn: not in line with the reason why she was hauled around but it does avoid inverting the poo bag and gripping the warm, smelly and slimy gift and then carrying it home at arm’s length.

As we cruise country paths surrounded by grass and farm animals then it crossed my mind that should Blossom develop the need then some relocation of the mutt into the long grass might hide the deed and we might proceed quickly from the scene of the crime undetected. So imagine my horror when we returned and got on the street where she lived and she adopted the pose on the verge… oh no! I did contemplate checking all the surrounding windows for surveillance and if the coast was clear then dashing for our front door afterwards, however, the risk of ignominy and future pointing was too great a risk. So thanking the very empty canine from the bottom of my heart I collected the bountiful donation and went home wondering if I could find a plug on Google for next time.

After advice from my physio I joined a gym in order to use specific equipment. I’m not a stranger to physical exercise but gyms are not my scene. The Council run one nearby and as it is chocker full of kit then I signed up. Gaining access when getting to the gym however remains a baffling experience.

At Reception I presented my gym membership card and my York Resident’s card. The Receptionist chirped back “£5.80 please”. No I smirked back, “it is £3.90 as I is am a York resident and an old person entitled to a discount”. Okay she confirmed, “May I see your concession card?”

What! I had already got two new cards to attempt to penetrate the gym did I need a third? After asking where I might get the third card and what it looked like she said it had to show proof of my age on it. Warming to the conversation I enquired as to whether she had my age on the system as I had to go through an induction and form submission initially. Yes, she the system noted my age but I still needed to show proof. Now I’m all for detailed checks if buying a shotgun, accessing large Social Benefit payments, boarding a plane and the like but for an hour wasting myself on a Bosu ball and a Leg Press?. Anyway she relented… on this one occasion, and allowed me entry after I gave her another card… my Debit card to pay the £3.90.