I was still seated and preparing for work when my phone rang. I picked it up and said, “Hello, who is on the line?” There was a brief silence, so I repeated my question twice. Finally, a smooth voice responded, “This is Sarah.” I tried to recall who she was but couldn’t. She then asked me to ask Thompson who she was, sounding very suspicious, and then she cut the call.

Confused and a bit anxious, I approached Thompson and asked him about Sarah. He hesitated for a moment before telling me she was just a business partner. I wanted to believe him, and for a while, I did. However,...