A Little Giving

Rose was tremendously excited about the money. This month the rent and utilities would drain everything that was left in her meagre savings account, and then what? She was tired of her strict budget. Her pension covered less of her living expenses every year, and now her savings had run out. Until the phone call. She couldn’t believe her luck.

‘Good morning, this is Deepak Sharma from Worldwide Charities. How are you today? Am I speaking to Mrs Rose Phillipson?’

‘Ye-es,’ said Rose, suspicious. Someone asking for money. What would it be this time?

‘I am calling to offer you a unique opportunity which we are making available to pensioners in the city. We have excess funds we have not been able to pass on to our chosen charity, due to legality issues in their country. Therefore, we are offering lump sum payments, up to a maximum of fifty thousand dollars, to selected beneficiaries in New Zealand.’

‘Fifty thousand dollars?’, echoed an astonished Rose. ‘For me?’

‘Yes, that is correct. This money must be relinquished to a charitable cause before the end of our financial year. You must act quickly if you wish to become one of our beneficiaries.’

‘Is that right? And what must I quickly do?’

‘In order to qualify as one of our beneficiaries, you must be shown to have an existing relationship with our company. The easiest way to do this is to make a charitable donation to us.’

‘I could receive a lump sum of fifty thousand? If I donate to your charity first?’

‘Yes. It’s a wonderful opportunity! You must make the donation now, and the payment will be received by end of month.’ The voice was soft, persuasive, with a charming accent.

‘How much would you want as a donation?’

‘The company accountant is suggesting ten percent, which would be five thousand dollars.’

‘Goodness,’ said Rose. 'I don’t have five thousand.’

‘Not to worry. We can be flexible with the amount if the beneficiary is deserving, you see. How much could you afford?’

'All I have is three thousand dollars in my savings account, and I need most of that to pay bills next month,' said Rose. 'Why does it have to be so much? Why not a hundred dollars, say? That would show a relationship wouldn't it?'

'If only, Mrs Phillipson, if only! But one hundred dollars would not be considered a significant donation, I'm afraid. Let me talk to my supervisor and see if three thousand would be acceptable.'

Rose plucked absently at her lip. What she could do with fifty thousand! The phone played a bar of Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud, but before she could begin to hum along, he was back.

'Hello, Mrs Phillipson?'

'Yes, I'm here.'

‘Thank you for waiting. I can tell you are an intelligent and responsible person, Mrs Phillipson. I have told my supervisor this. I'm happy to say I have secured an undertaking to accept three thousand.’

‘Oh, but you see I have I have these bills to pay at the end of the month. I would need that money in the account for the thirtieth.’

‘That is no problem, because we must donate the money by the end of September. It will definitely be in your account by then. You are not to worry.’

The transaction didn’t take long. Rose insisted on a signed contract-she wasn’t born yesterday-and once that was safely in her inbox, she deposited the money into the account number she had written down on the pad next to the phone, below the man’s name (Deepak Sharma) and his company (Worldwide Charities Ltd). She was proud of her familiarity with her devices. Her grandchildren had spent hours teaching her to text and use Facetime and WhatsApp (for when they were overseas), and to do her shopping and banking on the internet.

Then she made a list of the things she needed. Her dishwasher had stopped working months ago, so that was first. The drier was making strange noises, and the fridge was so old! She could use her credit card, and by the time payment was due she would have more than enough in her account.

***

When Rose’s youngest granddaughter pulled up to the house, she had to leave her car on the street; two delivery vans were parked in the driveway. Rose, who had been admiring her new dishwasher, watched from the kitchen window as Michelle climbed the porch steps and hesitated. Rose’s old drier hovered in the front doorway, supported by two figures clad in white overalls.

Michelle stood back as the drier sailed past her to settle on the lawn beside the first van. One overalled man snapped open the slider and the other climbed into the vehicle. She paused at the front door. ‘Grandy! It’s just me!’

Rose bustled into the front passage. ‘Oh Michelle, my dear, isn’t it exciting! I’m getting all new appliances. I’ve been so lucky!’

‘Wow! Did you win lotto?’

What would Michelle say when she heard? Had Rose been foolish? Was it too good to be true? Mr Sharma’s proposal had seemed plausible at the time, but something told her Michelle might see it differently. He was such a nice man though…

‘Not exactly dear. I was contacted by a charity who had money to dispose of before the end of their financial year. They were looking for people who could donate at short notice, which would qualify them to receive a portion of the funds that needed to be given away.’

Michelle frowned, mouth half open as she listened.

‘You’re catching flies, dear,’ said Rose gaily. Michelle snapped her lips closed. ‘But isn’t it marvelous! I’m able to replace all this worn-out rubbish now. How lovely to have new appliances that work and won’t need replacing again for years. In fact, they should see me out.’ With an effort, Rose forced herself to stop talking.

‘Oh Grandy, you didn’t give these people money, did you?’

‘Well of course I did, you silly goose. It was how I qualified! I couldn’t turn it down.’ Rose’s lips stretched in a sly smile. ‘You think I’m a silly old woman, don’t you? But don’t worry, it’s all legal, I have a signed contract!’ Rose shot off with surprising agility for an overweight eighty-plus and was back in a moment. She exhibited a sheet of A-four like a prize. ‘Look here, I printed it out.’

Michelle took the paper and headed for the kitchen table where she sat and put on her glasses. Rose breezed in behind her.

‘It looks legit Grandy, as far as it goes,’ said Michelle. Rose nodded with vigorous assurance, but a sceptical frown contracted Michelle's normally open, cheerful face. ‘I’d better see what google has to say about these guys.’

A fly buzzed against the window as Michelle bent over her phone. The delivery men’s muffled voices drifted through the still-open front door.

‘Hmmm, Worldvision… Global Charities… worldwide charities list…there is no company called Worldwide Charities, Grandy.’ Michelle bit her lip and squinted at the screen, thumbs flashing. ‘And there’s heaps of people called Deepak Sharma, none of them working for a charity. It will be a made-up name.’

A tiny moth fluttered inside Rose’s abundant abdomen. ‘He hasn’t been in the country very long, he said, maybe that’s why you can’t find him. He seemed such a nice man.’

‘He probably wasn’t in the country at all, but in a call centre in India or somewhere. I think you’ve been scammed, Grandy.’

‘Oh no, dear, whatever will I do? I’ve paid for all this stuff on my card.’ Heavy boots scuffled along the passage with another piece of brand new whiteware. ‘And, oh my! The rent money is gone.’ Rose reached across her chest, clutching an arm with one hand as she lowered herself into a kitchen chair.

‘Don’t you worry, Grandy, we’ll think of something. Tell those men to turn around now and take the appliances back. The store will have to give you a refund. And then, I’m going to post this on Facebook. Hopefully we can prevent anyone else being fooled.’

‘But we don’t know that it’s a scam yet, dear, do we?’ said Rose, with renewed hope. ‘There’s still two weeks to go. I might still get the money, and it’ll end up hunky-dory. You can’t go around bad-mouthing people on Facebook when you don’t know for sure.’ Rose was no Facebook virgin. She didn’t have an account, but she enjoyed reading the posts and comments on Michelle’s phone during her frequent visits.

‘Okay, I’ll make it a question-Has anyone else had dealings with this company? That type of thing. Happy with that?’

‘Yes, all right, if you must dear.’ Surely it was going to be fine. He sounded like such a nice man! And she had the contract…

Michelle headed her post with a photo of Rose holding up her contract, an expression of defiance on her face. 'Rose’s Lucky Day?' it said, with a brief description of the proposal (Rose wouldn’t let her use the word scam). She concluded with two questions: Has anyone had any dealings with this company, Worldwide Charities Ltd? Can you recommend them? ‘There,’ she said. ‘That ought to do it. Now we wait and see.’

***

As September thirtieth approached, Rose became more and more anxious. The moth in her abdomen grew into a giant butterfly. She couldn’t sleep. Whenever Michelle was there, she pored over the comments on her post.

Sassy Sally: It’s a scam. My grandmother had a similar call from a so-called charity, but it was a different name. She would have been sucked in too, but my mum was there at the time and wouldn’t let her.

Jane and Dave: Poor Rose! Her money is a gone burger.

Debbie Bowden: These people ring me all the time. Last time I threatened to call the police and he said, ‘go to hell you b***h’ and hung up!

Tom Jones: Report this to police.

           Brian Smith: Tom Jones police can’t do anything. The calls come from overseas and can’t be traced.

***

‘Nothing helpful from Facebook, I’m afraid,’ said Michelle on the twenty-ninth. ‘There are still a few comments coming in. Mostly people saying it must be a scam, but no one has heard of Worldwide Charities. No money yet?’ Rose shook her head and Michelle nodded sympathetically. ‘Did you hear back from the social worker?’

‘Yes,’ said Rose. ‘I’ve applied for the accommodation supplement and additional support. She said it should come through in a few days, so at least I’ll be able to pay the rent.’

She had returned all the appliances, except the dishwasher which had already been installed and given a test run. The store refused to take it back, and how was she going to pay for that? The credit card payment date was looming.

Michelle, checking her Facebook notifications, startled Rose with an exclamation. ‘Gosh! What’s this?’

‘Whatever has happened, dear?’

‘There’s a new comment here. It is despicable that these people prey on our elderly citizens. I would like to help Rose. I am sending you a PM.’ Michelle’s phone pinged with an incoming message. ‘That might be it! Let’s see…. ' Rose pressed her lips against her clasped hands and waited. 'Oh Grandy! He wants to give you money! He says his own grandmother passed away recently and he would like to do this in her memory.’

‘Goodness, how kind,’ said Rose.

‘He’s asking for your account details so he can do an online deposit. Hang on, I’ll just check him out.’ Michelle was silent for a few moments thumbs working on the screen. ‘He looks ok, he’s been on Facebook since 2005, lots of friends, family members. Yes, here’s a post about his grandmother’s funeral. Shall I reply and say yes?’

‘If you think it’s okay dear, yes.’ Rose’s face was losing its pallor. ‘Here’s the account,’ she said, as she opened the banking app and handed Michelle her phone. ‘I wonder how much?’

‘Oh! He also says we should set up a Give-a-Little page! That's a good idea. Why don't we do that?’

***

Two weeks later, Rose’s driveway was again blocked with delivery vans. She checked her phone for her new balance and chuckled. It was still coming in. People were so kind! That nice Mr Sharma had been right after all. She did not need to worry.