Jonna Carter: The Art of the Scam

In this age of digital warfare in which we're assaulted daily by all manner of scams, phishing and attempts at identity theft, I have a cautionary tale. Mine is a story that needs telling — both as a warning and because, although it has greatly inconvenienced my loving husband, it's hilarious.

It all began when Scott signed up for a code update class he has to take every three years in order to have his master electrician license renewed. I find this class to be most inconvenient, as there are countless things I'd inevitably prefer to be doing with my husband on the specified weekend. Not only does the class eat up an entire weekend. It also requires purchasing a pricey code book that contains the many updates, many of which defy common sense, but as Sister Susan at my children's preschool used to say, "Common sense is anything but common." Amen, Sistah!