Don't Become A Victim.

One of the things professionals will tell you is that you should not sign a reference form and stand as a guarantor for someone else. This is true because many people have fallen victim of it. Some have ended up in jail and paying up serious debts because they stood for someone who later defaulted or committed a crime or fraud. I was told of a customer who signed a reference for a banker on behalf of the banker's customer he didn't know from adam. The person in question was arrested later by the police because the banker's customer later committed a fraud. This incident happened many years after he had signed the reference. He paid with his integrity because he was trying to help someone else. 
A few people have learnt from incidents like that man's experience who just wanted  to help some body. Have you wondered why people hardly do references and stand as a guarantor for you these days? They don't want to fall victim of it. One little mistake, carelessness, fraud, crime and so on can cost someone his career, life and future. The bible even has some thing to say about it. 
Proverbs 11:15 says:
15 It's a dangerous thing to guarantee payment for someone's debts. Don't do it! CEV TRANSLATION
15 If you promise to pay a stranger's debt, you will regret it. You are better off if you don't get involved.
GNTD TRANSLATION
15  Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.
ESV TRANSLATION
15 Whoever guarantees to pay somebody else’s loan will suffer. It is safer to avoid such promises.
NCV TRANSLATION
15 There’s danger in putting up security for a stranger’s debt; it’s safer not to guarantee another person’s debt.    NLT TRANSLATION
15  He who becomes security for an outsider shall smart for it, but he who hates suretyship is secure [from its penalties]. AMP TRANSLATION.
The above various translations of Proverbs 15:11 really open it up and amplified it for us to learn. This does not mean that every body is a criminal, fraudster, defaulter and so on. But one thing I know is that every one makes mistakes and a mistake made by a person can affect someone else negatively for the rest of his life. We all have to be careful.
Furthermore, as a professional, business person, an individual and so on, you are always told to change your email password, office login password, phones and tablets passwords, ATM pass words and so on from time to time because of fraud and other criminal activities. I have fallen victim of it before. My facebook and yahoo mail accounts were arched and the person that did it almost got away with it. He was asking people for money both from my country and abroad until one or two people who knew me sensed some thing fishy. Some of my friends had to call me to confirm if I was the one doing and asking people for money like 500 pounds and so on. It took me two days to get back my accounts back from the fraudster through the help of an IT professional. I felt really bad about it but I thanked God that he didn't do much arm. Although, a few people fell to it and paid money into the account the fraudster had asked them to pay the money into.The experience taught me a big lesson and since then, I have been careful with my passwords. 
Also, I was told of a banker whose colleague committed a fraud with his sign on or password. The banker in question was sick and he needed to stay back at home. But his password was needed to complete the transactions and approve them. He had to give it to a colleague of his who used the opportunity to commit a fraud. When the chips were down and push came to show, the person who committed the fraud and the guy who was sick were invited by the management of the company. What saved the banker was that when the investigation was carried out, thy discovered that he was on sick leave when the fraud was carried out. He was acquitted of the charges but the other guy was sacked. The guy who was acquitted later vowed that he would never give his password again to any body. He would have lost his job and would not be able to work in any financial company again in his country if he was not acquitted of the allegations.
This is a very serious matter that anyone can fall prey to. Don't say I am very meticulous, professional and I will never fall to it. Many people have made that same statement and fell to it. Yes, you and I can fall to this if we are not careful.
Another area we need to be careful about is the area of signing documents. Many people have sold their future, mortgage, families, careers, etc because they signed documents they didn't read very well and understand. Others have fallen because they refused to employ the services of a professional to help them interpret the documents. I have heard of footballers who have enslaved themselves because they signed the agreement of the contract with clubs without having understanding of the contents of the contracts. They signed in a hurray because they were very happy that they were signing with those clubs and also having the thoughts of being professionals abroad. 
Before you sign any contract, read to understand or employ the services of a lawyer to interpret it before you sign. Make sure you sign on each page of the documents apart from the original place where you are supposed to sign. This will stop and prevent people from changing the documents by tearing off the page where you signed or supposed to sign and attaching it to some other documents which will implicate you. This is a serious matter and we need to be serious about it.
Lastly, going on an errand for someone is not a bad thing but it can cost you a lot. Many times people who travel abroad bring back things that their friends gave them to give their family members, loved ones and so on. They are sent on errands to many people with cash, parcels, things, boxes and so on. Unfortunately, a few people have found themselves in police net because they didn't know that the content of the parcel is unlawful, illegal and so on. If you are to run an errand for a friend, make sure you know what the contents are in the parcel or box or items of baggage. This singular act can save you a lot. To save yourself a lot of embarrassment, you need to know what you are carrying. Supposing you are carrying your death warrant to the executioner, how will you feel when you discover it.
2 Sam 11:14- 17 says, " 14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. 16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. 17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab:and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also. (KJV)".
Uriah took his death warrant to General Joab. If he had asked what the content was before he took it, you and I would say it is wrong, rude and unethical. I know that reading other people's mails is wrong but knowing the content of a parcel will save you a lot of shame. If he had opened the letter on his way, he would have known the plans of the king but he didn't. He did the right thing but when it comes to bags, parcels, bigger things, make sure you know and see the content, so that you can defend it and not end up like Uriah. Many people have gone to jail and their early grave because they helped someone to carry some thing or a bag, only to find out that the content of the bag was cocaine. This could be painful because the people were trying to help not knowing the mind of the person whose parcel they were carrying.
We all need to be careful so that we do not end up like Uriah. Also, we should do our best so that we don't fall and become victims of the schemes and plans of the wicked. Don't mortgage your future for men's wickedness. Please, you have to be careful.