Auditory Viewpoint
Lillian R. Melendez
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Copyright © 2013, 2016 by Lillian R. Melendez
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the author, except by reviewers who may quote brief passages in critical articles or reviews.
All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015920207
ISBN 978-1519544674 (Print)
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, North Charleston, SC
Print edition produced in the United States of America
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A very special thanks to
Darren Curley (Ret. N.Y.P.D) and Sonia
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CHAPTER 1—UNEXPECTED
Gloria Rank, a woman in her mid-thirties with a glowing optimistic personality that matched her bright blush cheeks, put on her earphones after she slowly sat down in her chair at WCOK 39.2 AM, a radio station located in Summit, New Jersey. The on-air radio room featured a desktop computer, microphones, and built-in buttons on a table with two chairs opposite from each other. The bright burst of a blend of orange-red colored paint made the studio feel cozy, not cold. John Myers, her radio partner seated across from her, quickly put his headset on after a short commercial break. Gloria became alert when hearing the radio show’s theme song play.
“Welcome back to The Scope Morning Show with Gloria Rank and John Myers,” he announced. “Today’s topic is identity theft and cybercriminals, plus what you can do if you happen to become a victim. Today’s guest is information security analyst Benjamin Taylor, president of Wired Security, which specializes in protecting companies and individuals against identity theft and high-tech crimes.”
Benjamin Taylor adjusted the microphone and was ready to speak. An IT professional in his early forties, he had a knack for zooming in on infected computer files and spotting viruses quickly, much like finding beginning whiskers on his face before his next shave.
“So tell me, Benjamin, how long have you been in the IT business?” Gloria asked.
“Thank you both again for having me. I’ve been in this field for over ten years. My company has helped protect millions of consumers, plus small and large businesses.”
“Mr. Taylor, why isn’t contacting the police enough?” John asked.
“The cyber world is too complex. Victims usually contact the police, file a police report, and get their bank accounts closed to prevent further damage. But that is inadequate protection. Our personal information, such as our social security number, is regularly used by identity thieves. According to the Federal Trade Commission, 8.1 million Americans have become victims of identity theft; that being in the U.S. alone. With the expansion of the internet, imagine the huge amount of people having their identity stolen worldwide.”
“That is staggering,” Gloria remarked.
“Next caller,” John pressed a button. “Hello and welcome to our show. Please tell us what you have done to protect yourself against cyber thieves, or tell us your experience if your identity was ever stolen.”
“I want to say that I lost my wallet on a train,” a caller said.
“Oh, no,” Gloria reacted with concern.
“Someone then hacked into my credit card account and misused it. I was so furious with myself,” the caller added.
“Why were you upset at yourself?” Gloria asked.
“Because it happened to me; and I thought I had done everything possible to avoid becoming the next victim,” the caller replied.
“I’m sorry for what you had to go through, but thanks for sharing with us,” Gloria said with sympathy.
“I want all of our listeners to know this: You don’t have to feel ashamed for what has happened to you, or if it occurs to you in the near future. With technology constantly developing, identity theft cases are steadily growing, which is a trend I’ve followed closely throughout the years, working with the police,” Benjamin said.
“Wow!” John responded.
“We don’t want to scare our listeners, but facts are very important to hear. Most people automatically blame themselves, even though sometimes you can prevent things and sometimes you just can’t. Instead of blaming yourself for a criminal’s behavior, report it. Bring it to the public’s attention. Let the police gather information and do their investigation. Never think of yourself simply as a victim if you take control back,” Benjamin concluded.
“Next caller,” John said after he pressed another lighted button.
“Thank you for taking my call. When I lost my card, the hackers somehow got my pin number. I reported it right away.”
“What happened next? Was there any good news?” Gloria asked.
“Actually, yes. After several months, the cops traced the thief when he pulled off multiple thefts in a short period of time,” the listener said.
“This is a good example. She decided not to become a victim by reporting it. The police had the information and proceeded with it. The more people report this kind of behavior, the better the chances become of catching a hacker,” Benjamin said.
“Thank you for talking to us, and enjoy your day!” John said to the listener.
“Caller number seven, please tell me your experience!”
“Good morning, Gloria and John. Hello Benjamin. I would like to know, can I purchase items online using a public computer?” the caller asked.
“I strongly suggest that you don’t purchase anything online on any public computer,” Benjamin said. “This includes public places such as food courts, book stores, and other areas that have Wi-Fi. If your own personal computer does not have an updated antivirus program, you are inviting hackers. Think of your personal information as a key to your front door. You do not want to be careless. I also want to add that online stores have a privacy policy, and it’s important to read that closely. If the privacy policy is confusing or not easily understandable, that’s a red flag,” Benjamin advised.
Gloria and John continued their interview with Benjamin Taylor for twenty minutes until the show’s theme song played again.
“Thank you for coming to The Scope Morning Show to discuss this important topic,” Gloria said to Benjamin.
“Thank you both for inviting me.”
“We will be back tomorrow. Same time,” she informed the listeners.
“Same place,” John said. “The Scope Morning Show with Gloria and John on WCOK 39.2 AM. Enjoy your day everyone, and see you tomorrow.”
Behind the glass, the producer held up three fingers and counted each finger down to one, at which point a commercial on aloe soap took over the air waves. Gloria removed her earphones and smoothed her hair, which was wavy from the lower middle to the tip. Benjamin got up from his chair and shook hands with John, who then stepped out of the room.
Benjamin came over.
“Gloria.”
“Yes,” she answered as she turned towards the sound of his voice.
“You put on a great show for the audience. I would like to shake your hand if you don’t mind,” Benjamin requested.
Gloria raised her hand, which Benjamin shook.
“Something I forgot to tell John... I’d love to do a second interview here in a few months. Can this be arranged?” he asked.
“Probably. We’ll speak to our boss about your request. John and I would certainly like to have you on the show again,” Gloria said.
“The producer has my contact information, and I’ll
make sure to call back to follow up on the decision.”
Gloria nodded her head.
“Have a great day, Gloria.”
“Same to you,” she replied with a smile. She took her cane, preparing to get on her feet.
“Need any help?”
“No, thank you,” Gloria replied as she stood up.
“Take care then,” Benjamin said and exited the room.
“Gloria,” the afternoon shift radio host called from outside the on-air room.
“Yes,” Gloria responded as she gathered her belongings.
“I know you’re leaving a little early today. The entire crew would like to wish you a happy birthday. We have a surprise for you, and just need a few moments of your time.”
“Yes, of course,” Gloria responded. Moving her cane out of the entrance door, she walked across to the meeting room area. A co-worker brought in a cake with a candle on top. Once Gloria entered, the head of the radio station escorted her to a chair and placed the cake before her. The rest of the staff began to fill the room.
“Thank you. I really appreciate this!” Gloria sent her coworkers a smile. She touched the side of her heart-shaped face and moved her head left to right, almost in slow motion.
“We’ve really enjoyed working with you for the past six years, and look forward to working with you for many years to come. The ratings are up, and we get a lot of fan mail and Twitter followers. We had to show our appreciation with added berries and cherries,” Gloria’s boss said.
Gloria took a whiff of the cake. “It smells delicious.”
The slight flame of the candle seemed even hotter in the already lukewarm room.
“There’s only one candle,” the producer said.
“Is everyone here now?” John asked as he gazed around the room and back at Gloria. “Okay.”
“You make the first cut,” the producer said, although he helped Gloria by placing the knife in her hand and gradually moved the knife downward. He then let go as she started to push the knife down on her own to the bottom of the cake, creating a perfect slice.
Gloria’s cell phone rang, causing her to become slightly distracted. Unsure whether to put the knife down on the table, she shifted her attention to the knife and then to the phone inside her handbag, and back to the knife again. At that moment, she wished for a remote control to pause her life. The knife was still in her hand, but the producer took it from her. Instead of reaching for her phone, she put her hand on the edge of the table for a second as she still debated.
“I must take this,” Gloria finally said. While the producer held the knife, Gloria reached over her shoulder to her purse, and retrieved a type of phone used by the disabled and the elderly. She felt a large button on the far top left, pressed it, and held the handset against her ear. “Hello?”
“It’s me, Anna,” Gloria’s sister said on the other end.
“I will be downstairs in a few minutes…”
“Don’t leave just yet,” Anna said as her voice trembled.
There was no explanation from the other end, but Gloria could hear the manipulation of silence.
“What’s wrong?” Gloria asked as she moved her hand, picked up her belongings and got up from her chair. “I cannot hear you, let me find a private spot.” She moved towards the entrance. “Will you excuse me for a moment, this seems to be an important call,” Gloria said to everyone inside the meeting room.
“Sure,” several of the people who were not eating cake responded. Two staff members moved away from the door to give her easy access.
“Hello,” Anna said on the other end of the line.
Gloria frowned for a second. “Are you all right?”
“I’ll be there in a few. I am just running a little late.”
“Is New York congested at this time, around lunch hour?” Gloria asked.
“Oh, there’s nothing for you to worry about. Happy Birthday!” Anna said with enthusiasm in her voice.
Gloria was taken aback by the sudden comment.
“Are you still at work?” she asked slowly. Silence on the line followed, and Gloria broke it. “Never mind. You probably have a deadline at work. I understand. That’s why you didn’t want to tell me. You wanted me to focus on my birthday,” Gloria said as she laughed nervously.
“It’s more complicated,” Anna replied.
Gloria moved a little further away from the meeting area. She managed to tune out everyone’s voices, so as to hear Anna’s voice much clearer.
“You don’t sound all right. Forget worrying about ruining my birthday. What’s so complicated that you do not wish to reveal?”
“It’s embarrassing,” Anna said, sounding helpless.
“What did you do? Did you go to work with half of your dress still stuck in your stockings? Did you have tissue under your feet since you are always in a rush? Did you send a private email to the wrong person?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
“Someone hacked into my bank account,” Anna answered.
Gloria gasped. “You? How?”
Anna remained silent.
“Anna, please understand that this is not embarrassing. It will be humiliating when the person who did this to you gets caught and goes to prison. But how did this happen? How were you hacked?” Gloria pressed. “Someone picked your pocket? Did you drop your wallet somewhere?”
“No. No.”
“You left your card in an ATM machine, then?”
“No.”
“Okay, I will not press anymore,” Gloria said.
“No, I didn’t leave my card in the ATM machine – thank God, I’m not that clumsy. I was completing an online transaction,” Anna explained.
A mental light bulb went off inside Gloria’s head. “Wait, Benjamin.”
“Who?”
“Funny thing, I just did a show on this issue today,” Gloria said. She heard footsteps, and turned toward the meeting room.
“Does anyone know if Benjamin Taylor is still around? He was my guest on the show today,” Gloria asked the producer.
“Left a few minutes ago. Said he was headed for the airport, I think.”
Gloria frowned. “Crap! I need to speak to him!”
The producer walked away, so Gloria turned her attention back on the phone conversation.
“I don’t have time to wait for an outcome that may or may not happen. I’ve gotta go now,” Anna said.
“No, wait!” Gloria protested. “How much was taken out of your bank account?”
“Around seventeen thousand.”
“Oh God!” Gloria sounded astounded.
The producer came back seconds later and gave her the office phone. “If Benjamin doesn’t pick up, just wait for the beep,” he instructed.
Gloria nodded and held the phone to her other ear. A message alert sound came on, and she started to speak. “Hello Mr. Taylor, this is Gloria Rank. I am in need of your help. Unfortunately, someone very close to me has just become a victim of identity theft. It is best that I give you detailed information when you call back.” Remembering that her sister was still on the phone she held with her other hand, Gloria felt she had to speed up the message. “Please reply back, thank you in advance!” She returned to her cell phone. “Anna? Hello? Hello?” Gloria slowly removed the handset from her ear and took her white cane, which she pointed in the desired direction.
CHAPTER 2—UNLUCKY
Gloria left through the rear entrance to meet Anna. They stood near the medium-sized brick building, which was painted gray. The view behind the radio station consisted of two tall trees and a radio tower placed near their far right side. Gloria tilted her head up to grasp a little of the fresh air. The glare of the bright yellow sun added intensity with its heat, which started to bother her, so she took out her sunglasses from her handbag and placed them over her eyes. Anna’s body movement made her turn. Feeling hands covering her body, Gloria reached out and reciprocated the embrace.
“Forgive me fo
r hanging up,” Anna said.
“You’ve always handled things on your own, leaving me in the dark,” Gloria replied.
Anna paused. “Here is your present.” She put the gift, wrapped in red paper with a silver bow on top, in Gloria’s hands. “I filed a police report this morning with our local department. Then they called me while I was heading to work. I had an important meeting with a client at my PR firm, and had to let my partner take over for today instead of canceling abruptly.”
“That’s terrible,” Gloria said.
“I got off from the George Washington State Bridge and headed back until I remembered our lunch appointment. I have to go to the police station, and have two other important meetings to attend today.”
“Today isn’t your day. Stuff happens, but things will change for the better soon,” Gloria said.
“Yes. I’ll just go into the police department and give them whatever information they need, then work after hours today. I have to prepare a campaign for another client,” Anna said.
The crunchy sounds of leaves in Gloria’s ears made her move slightly to the left to avoid the small piles that accumulated from the trees.
Anna lowered her head for a second. “Oh. I can’t believe it. Today of all days,” a disappointed Anna said while nodding. “I am trying to be optimistic, but I sure wish my identity wasn’t stolen.”
“How? How exactly did this happen?” Gloria questioned.
“I was buying a gift for your birthday, and I don’t know what happened next... I mean, after I submitted my payment. I have virus protection, so I still haven’t a clue about how it happened.”
A leaf came off the tree branch and landed on Anna’s newly cut bangs, which lined up perfectly to her eyebrows. She then brushed off more leaves that landed on her jewelry embroidery dress. They both stood quietly and in deep thoughts for a few seconds.
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