I have laughed.

I have laughed at people who naively read things on the internet and believed that forwarding an email will pay for a child’s cancer treatment or that they can cure baldness with a simple pill.

I have laughed at people who see an ad for teeth whitening products set up as an alleged interview with someone from that person’s hometown saying that in these hard times they have found the “secret” to whiter teeth by combining two products which are conveniently available for a “risk-free trial period” for only a couple of dollars shipping.

I have laughed when those people found themselves suddenly signed up for monthly charges of over $150 because the trial period ended before the trial product was delivered (since it was coming from Florida) and $25/month for some sort of Bargain-Dining-Coupon-Book-Club which is somehow related to the now-slightly-more-risky-looking teeth whitening products.

I have laughed when said people have found these charges on their visa statement and freaked out because they thought their visa numbers had been stolen and proceeded to call Visa and have a new card number issued before they realized that they had, indeed, approved the charges, even if it was a rather underhanded trick by the devious teeth-whitening people.

I have laughed when the same people have spent hours on the phone to opt out of what seems like half a dozen membership programs and argued with teeth-whitening agents in order to have their money refunded and their memberships cancelled.

I have laughed when they then realized that the new visa number had not been as necessary as a level head and a tad more vigilance regarding whiter teeth giving out one’s visa number.

I have laughed.

But I will not laugh anymore.

Not that I would ever be bamboozled by a flashy campaign for whiter teeth an internet scam. I’m just saying.