people from themselves. It makes sense for the council to partner Western Union, a money transfer company, in the effort as many scams these days involve not cash but wire transfers and bank transactions. Nearly two dozen people lost money this way in the last 10 months to conmen who threatened to harm loved ones they claimed to have kidnapped. Many more such attempts either did not succeed or were unreported. However absurd the cons, obviously not all those who received such phone calls stopped to think about verifying what was told to them. They let the crooks victimise them twice - anxiety over a false crisis as well as financial loss.

The old, illiterate and poor are not the only ones at risk, but the council should tailor the campaign to protect the elderly, who appear the most vulnerable. Memory, presence of mind and personal confidence often diminish with age, making them easy targets for 'magic stones' conmen and impersonators. Together with the police, the People's Association and grassroots organisations, NCPC has tried to spread the anti-crime message to senior citizens. But this is a group less easily reached than younger people, among whom NCPC has made much more effort. Sustainable measures will need to include frequent individual contact with the old, especially those living alone.

Scammers have also infiltrated the Internet. They swooped in after the cyclone in Myanmar and the earthquake in China, diverting thousands of dollars in online collections. Their phony e-mail messages and websites cynically turned charity and kindness, the best in human instincts, into anger over the worst in human conduct. Not everyone is aware of the risks, let alone the latest ruses, on the Net. Criminals need not be up close and personal. They could be half a world away, hiding behind false identities. But cyber-cons still work the old-fashioned way, by exploiting victims' emotion, whether it is anxiety or kindness, greed or even romance. The Nigerian 'advance fee' scam is only one type. Lonely people looking for love on the wrong site often end up poorer and no less lonesome. The Safe campaign offers a timely reminder to exercise commonsense and vigilance online and off.