It is a sad but true fact that caution is necessary when considering doing a good deed. Many people have fallen prey to the criminal who appears to be someone in need of assistance at the side of a roadway. Whether it is a hitchhiker or someone whose vehicle that appears to have broken down, many of these individuals are not as innocent or helpless as they may seem.

I am not saying that we should not offer help, we just need to be smart about how we go about it. If someone truly appears to be in need of help, make sure your doors are locked, do not get out of your car and offer to call for assistance. If they really need help, they will accept gratefully. At the first sign of hesitation at your offer, put the car in drive and get out of there, then call the police to report suspicious activity. You may save someone's life.

Another type of criminal to watch out for is the unexpected visit from a public official, utility person, or repair person. If it is a public official, ask to see identification before you open the door; same goes for a utility person. If legitimate, they will have no problem offering the identification. This is not enough unfortunately, due to the sophistication of modern criminals.

Upon seeing identification, call the agency or company that the identification says that they are with. Also, make sure to call a number you get from your phone book or directory assistance and not from the person on the other side of the door. If it is a repair person at your door, simply tell them that they are at the wrong place and do not offer to let them inside for any reason. This may make the legitimate person's day longer or more frustrating, but it is the only sure way to ensure safety.

Then there are the criminals that we cannot even see. They call you on the the phone asking for donations for a worthy cause. I know all too well about this type of criminal, because I unwittingly started working for one of them. This particular variation of the theme was a Christmas party for poverty stricken children in a very rural area of a state which had lost it's only industry. I knew that this was true and thought that it would be a great way to make some money for myself, as well as helping those in need.

After a few days, I began to notice that things were not adding up. First of all, the boss had told the employees that she was working with the local police department to raise funds, however the name of the sheriff that she gave to us was

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