Scam

 After an early morning coffee and a shower, I headed out for my morning walk. My route was deserted, and I added an extra kilometre to the usual circuit. An hour later, I was home, and the porridge was simmering on the hob as my coffee filtered out of the Nespresso. It was a splendid start to the day.

I hadn't got much on the agenda, but Di was going to do some Xmas decorating. I took the opportunity, mid-morning, to drive to Shripney and pick up some cat litter (Jasper is a lazy cat and won't go to fetch his litter or his food). The shops and car parks were busy, but I was still home within about 30 minutes.

I received an email from a chap whose name rang a bell. His family name matched that of Diane's great-grandmother. The email said, "I'm just checking that this email address is still current for you." I checked, did I have emails from him in the past? Yes, I did, but not since 2005, and it turned out that he lives locally. I responded to the email. "Yes, the address is current, and we have moved house and are now living a few miles away from you. How about meeting for coffee?" I received a response within a few minutes (almost too quickly). The response said, "I need to get an Airbnb Gift Card for my friend, who is diagnosed with stage 4 mesothelioma cancer. It's her birthday, but I can't do this now because I tried purchasing it online, but unfortunately, I had no luck with that. I was wondering if you could purchase the gift card from your end and send it directly to my friend's email address.".... Guess what, I didn't fall for it. What's more, Google Mail has subsequently slapped a warning message on the email. Just be aware, folks. They are out to get you at Christmas time.