Several years ago, I was sitting in traffic with friends when a woman in the car next to us rolled down her window.

She looked to be in her mid-thirties and said she felt dizzy. Her elderly mother, who was driving, didn’t know how

to operate the car. The woman asked if one of us could drive them to the hospital because she thought she might faint.

They looked like a typical family in distress, and we considered helping. But their car was a manual,

and none of us knew how to drive stick. We apologized and drove on, feeling guilty for not being able to assist.

Years later, I read a news story about a scam where people faked medical emergencies to lure good samaritans into their cars.

Once inside, the victims were followed and robbed by accomplices. The people involved weren’t the same ones we saw, but the method was disturbingly similar.

Looking back, I realized how easily things could have gone wrong. What seemed like an innocent plea for help might have been something

far more dangerous. It was a powerful reminder to trust your instincts—and that not every cry for help is what it seems.