If you get a letter like the following, you can be pretty sure it's a scam: "I am Mr. Pino Pace, a Chartered Management Accountant and an External Auditor for the Bank of Ireland."

The letter offers you a chance to share in some long-dormant account left by a rich American who, sad to say, is deceased but shares a name with you, the lucky recipient of the letter.

A Scio resident brought such a mailing to the paper. He knew it was an attempt to defraud him, and of course he did not fall for it.

What he's worried about is that elderly people, maybe a little confused, or even suffering from the onset of dementia, will bite and lose money.

His worry may be well founded. So if you have family members like that, it might be time to remind them again to ignore come-ons like the one from Pino Pace - and hope they remember your advice when it counts. (hh)