Father may be victim of online scams

Dear Abby: My parents separated nearly 20 years ago. My father, who is retired, has been living alone for many years. I suspect he gets scammed for money on the internet. I have talked to him about it more than once. He routinely forwards me emails to check if they are legitimate. However, I think he falls for romance scams and is too embarrassed to tell me about it. Should I do more, even though it may be very uncomfortable for us both?

Concerned Son in Nova Scotia

Dear Son: If you think your father has fallen for romance scams in the past, you should have more discussions with him about how prevalent they are and what to watch out for. Do not personalize it if you think it might embarrass him, but do mention the danger of sending money to someone he might know only online.

Dear Abby: I am 60 years old and married. Every time we see my wife’s family, her parents pressure me to buy a car. (Our old one got totaled.) We don’t leave the house often except for exercise, and our daughter delivers our groceries to us.

Because I got sick of the nagging, I purchased a 9-year-old vehicle. When I brought it home, my wife began griping incessantly about my choice. She didn’t like it and wanted to return it, so I did.

The next time we saw her parents, we told them we didn’t need a car. It made them very upset. What should I do about this infuriating situation?

No Car in Alabama

Dear No Car: Do not allow yourself to be dragged into an argument about your decision. Tell them you do not wish to discuss it further and, if they persist, see them less often — much less often.

Dear Abby: I have a neighbor who loves to give me beautifully arranged bouquets of flowers. The problem is I do not enjoy receiving flowers because I don’t like seeing them die. I don’t know how to let her know I no longer want flowers as gifts. Please help.

Overwhelmed in Arizona

Dear Overwhelmed: Invite your generous neighbor to lunch and give her a small gift. (Candy, perhaps.) During the lunch thank her for her kindness and praise her for her flower arranging talent, but add that WATCHING THEM DIE DEPRESSES YOU, and to please stop.