Page 22 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • November 26, 2014 Hacking the hack: Am I worth 2,950? “I really hope you get this fast. I could not inform anyone about My trip to Philippines, I’m in Philippine to see my ill cousin she is suffering from Kidney disease and must undergo Kidney transplant to save her life the condition is critical. “Kidney transplant is very expensive here, so I want to transfer her back home to have the surgery imple- mented. I really need to take care of this now but my credit card can’t work here. I traveled with little money due to the short time I had to prepare for this trip and never expected things to be the way it is right now. I need a loan of $2,950USD from you and I’ll reimburse you at my return. I will really appreciate whatever amount you can come up with, if not all get back to me. I’ll advice on how to transfer it. John” This touching missive went out at 9:39 a.m. Friday, Nov. 14. By 10 a.m. I had heard from my accountant, the Korean-language translator for my latest book “Operation Snow,” the teen-tech librarian at the Glen Rock Library, and Chief Ben Fox of the Wyckoff Police Department. “I’m assuming your account got hacked?” the transla- tor wrote within minutes of receiving the e-mail. My accountant told me to get the hack knocked down as quickly as possible before somebody actually sent this anonymous crook money. My son -- who had not seen the hack -- knocked down the hack by changing the password for me. Paul Duggan at Mail & More soon had the e-mail account functional. I sent out any all-points bulletin to anybody outside the immediate family who might actu- ally think I was good to pay back any part of $2,950 USD. This is what is known as a “short list.” ALERT: In case you received an e-mail from the Phil- ippines saying that John Koster urgently needed $2,000 for a kidney transplant, don’t send the money. I am NOT in the Philippines and my cousin’s kidneys appear to be in adequate shape. In short...I got hacked. More and more e-mails poured in once my computer could accept messages again. Lance Dorrel, my white scout out there in Custer Country, wrote, “This is Lance and I believe your e-mail has been compromised as I am being asked to send you money for a kidney transplant for your relative.” Lance is from Missouri and not easily taken in. My high school buddy Ed, who won eight medals in Vietnam as a door gunner and has three degrees in accounting or finance, wrote, “John: Glad everything is OK. You need to get your password changed.” Winnie, the receptionist at the Empress of China Res- taurant in San Francisco, the top Chinese restaurant in the city in terms of location, service, and cuisine, also emailed. “Dear Mr. Koster: I am so glad to hear from you that you are in adequate health after receiving the e-mail from the scammer,” Winnie wrote. “When I read the e- mail, I was so worried. Now I can stop worried. I hope everything is going well and wish you and your family have good holidays.” Dave Lauterborn, research editor of “Wild West” and “Military History,” wrote, “Too late! We’ve mortgaged the house, sold the cars, and set up a pencil stand on the corner to cover the Koster Philippines Memorial Fund. Wish you’d emailed sooner. :(“ Conversely, a public official wrote an indignant letter to this newspaper, saying, “I find it offensive and inap- propriate for (John Koster) to be asking a professional contact for money.” Then she more temperately conceded that it could be an inappropriate use of my computer by some third party. The editor who got the letter had seem me stateside the day before and told the official that I had been hacked, but would forward the letter so I would know of her concern for my (imaginary) problems. A friend of mine from the Philippines tells me that kidney transplants are a major industry in the outlying islands and districts among people who desperately need money. This is very sad. He also told me that $2,950 was an over-the-top price for a kidney for sale for transplant. I would not demand any drastic penalties if they caught this particular crook, because I would rather con some rich foreign people I had never met than I would sell one of my own kidneys at any time. If that makes me a crook at heart, I am a historian by avocation and know some- thing about the history of the Philippines. Make no mistake: I do not flaunt my wealth, but I am not in desperate need of $2,950 USD. Anybody who is could not afford the property taxes I had paid the week before. Winnie and Lance are kids just out of their teens, but anybody else who got back to me would have written a check instantly if they thought my needs were for was real. I might add that $2,950 USD would probably not pay for one of the music systems in either of my son-in- law’s two imported Italian sports cars. My son owns two houses, one with a swimming pool. My daughter pays that much every quarter for two nannies and private pre- school. I love them, but I do not live in their world. I suppose my height and shall-we-say casual dress mode makes me a Skid Row suspect in some people’s books. I might win more trust or confidence in some circles if I walked around wearing a sweatshirt, a base- ball cap, and shorts like some guys my age -- an obvious attempt to fool and cheat Death if ever I saw one. “I’m only a little kid despite my gray hair or bald head, Mr. Death, please don’t take me away.” That’s not part of my act. Death holds no fear for me, but rank poverty to collect money by e-mail is not part of my act, either. My advice is this: Subscribe to “Wild West” or “Military History” according to your reading taste, dine at The Empress of China when in San Fran- cisco to delight culinary your taste, find an accountant as dependable as Marc Radin, and honor decorated combat veterans like Ed, who wants no part of flag-waving or being told he saved the children of Hoboken from speak- ing Vietnamese. These are real people. I hope nobody like them actually sent money for my imaginary cousin’s imaginary kidney transplant. If the emergency had been real, I think they all would have. It is good to know things like that. Letters to the Editor Love Fund seeks donations Dear Editor: For those of you who are new or old residents of Midland Park, I would like to bring to your attention the Children’s Love Fund, a unique town organization designed in 1977 to assist residents affected by a financial crisis due to health, employment, or natural disaster. The fund helps those fam- ilies whose children’s quality of life has been affected by these circumstances. An appeal is sent out once a year around Valentine’s Day to all the residents. However, with the number of recipient families increasing, the fund is in great need of replenish- ment. The organization is presently helping more families than ever before -- definitely a sign of the times. With the onset of this holiday season, I would like to appeal to residents to consider a donation to the Love Fund in the spirit of giving. This will help the organization assist those families in dire need and enable them to have a more comfortable holiday season and a better start to the coming year. Donations can be sent to the Children’s Love Fund, P.O. Box 327, Midland Park, New Jersey 07432. For more infor- mation, call (201) 788-5355. Betty Sullivan Midland Park Appreciates opportunity to serve Dear Editor: I am a member of the borough council of Franklin Lakes and have just been re-elected, for which I am particularly appreciative. I have tried to find some appropriate way to say “thank you for your support” to all those who gave me their sup- port. I am deeply grateful and re-commit my dedication to be the best possible representative for the people in Frank- lin Lakes. In many cases, those elected to public office are very visible when asking for support, but not as visible after- wards. I am reaching out to my constituents to express my gratitude for their support, and to promise to give them the best possible representation as a councilman. To those whose support I did not have, I hope to earn your confi- dence in the future. It is an honor to serve and I appreciate this opportunity. Joe Kelly Franklin Lakes Applauds efforts of DPW Dear Editor: I would like to praise the work of the Wyckoff Depart- ment of Public Works, under the leadership of Scott Fisher. Recently, I was delighted to arrive at the public library to see a beautiful new and expanded parking lot due to the efforts of the DPW. As I drove home, I also noticed the well-maintained roads, which are clearly marked for auto- mobile and pedestrian safety. As I approached my home, I was pleased to see that the large piles of leaves along the neighborhood roads were gone, having been efficiently picked up by the employees of the DPW. The DPW team also hosts several events in the garage on West Main Street, including the shredding of documents, and a Rabies Clinic. While there recently for the shredding event, I noticed the maintenance work being done on the DPW’s fleet of vehicles in preparation for the sanding and plowing of our road during inclement winter weather. While not always as visible as the members of our trea- sured police and fire departments, the staff of the depart- ment of public works labors tirelessly to maintain the welfare and safety of our citizens and the overall beauty of Wyckoff. For this they are deserving of our gratitude. Nancy Drabik Wyckoff Award recipients (continued from page 5) basketball coach. She is the Mayor’s Wellness Program coordinator, and she coordinated the “Baskets 4 Franklin Lakes” program. Veliky is a former Woodside Avenue School Parent Teacher Association treasurer, president and theme day coordinator, a former Boy Scout treasurer and Girl Scout leader, a recreation department volunteer, and a Franklin Lakes Board of Education trustee. Venner has been a Franklin Lakes Meals on Wheels member for 12 years and served as that group’s president for nine years. She is a volunteer driver delivering meals, a former member of the borough’s Newcomers Club, a former member of Franklin Lakes Shade Tree Commission, chair- woman of Franklin Lakes Woman’s Club Blood Drive, and an active member of Woman’s Club.