Heloise, syndicated columnist

Dear Heloise: My family and I almost became victims of a kidnapping scam. Apparently, scammers have been rather successful using a “fake kidnapping scam” in South America, so scammers here in the United States decided to do the same thing.

I don’t know how they select their victims, but they call during the early hours of the morning, around midnight to 3 a.m., to disorient a sleeping victim and tell them that they have kidnapped their son or daughter. Then they demand a ransom for the safe return of that person.

They called my parents in Chicago, told them I had been kidnapped from my apartment in Dallas and demanded a ransom for my release. My father demanded to speak to me, but they refused, saying that I was bound and gagged.

While all this was going on, my brother used his cellphone to call me at home. I seldom get phone calls that late, but when I do, I know it’s usually something important. So, I answered the phone. I assured my family that I was asleep in my own apartment, and I used the camera feature on my phone to show them that my dog was with me, sleeping in his doggie bed. Surely, kidnappers wouldn’t bother kidnapping the two of us.

I spoke with my mother, who then whispered to my dad that I was in my apartment and unharmed. After my dad made several unprintable remarks to the callers, he hung up and called the police.

If this should happen to you, call the person who is supposed to have been kidnapped and verify whether it’s true. Then call the police no matter what the person on the phone tells you. This is just a vicious scam, but you don’t have to be a victim. — Monica K., in Dallas

TOO MUCH SOAP

Dear Heloise: I’ve read that most people use too much soap when they do laundry. Is this true, and how much should I use? I use a lot of soap in an effort to get my towels bright white again, but they have a gray look to them. What causes this? — Jessica T., Wausau, Wisconsin

Jessica, you only need about 1/2 a cap full if you are using one of the newer machines, whether it’s a front loader or a top loader. If you use a top loader, you might find that you get better results with an agitator in the middle.

The gray tint to your towels is a buildup of soap, skin oils and dirt that got trapped in the fibers of the towel.

Try using white vinegar in the laundry and rinse cycles to help loosen the trapped debris and to whiten your towels again. — Heloise

TAPEWORMS

Dear Readers: Dogs and cats can pick up tapeworms from eating fleas. Be sure to use a veterinarian-recommended, tick-and-flea preventive medication each month. You’ll have a much healthier pet if you do. — Heloise

PLASTIC SLEEVES PROTECT COOKBOOK

Dear Heloise: When making a family cookbook, I typed and copied each recipe onto an 8.5-by-11-inch sheet of paper and stored them in a three-ring binder. To protect each recipe, I inserted the paper into a plastic sleeve.

Now, when family members prepare a dish using my recipes, all they have to do is wipe off the plastic sleeve if food spills on the recipe. — P.A., via email

EDITOR’S NOTE: SEND A GREAT HINT TO: Heloise@Heloise.com