HOUSTON—Pleased by the scammer’s presumption that he had a net worth greater than zero, local man Connor Franklin told reporters he was flattered that the spam caller he spoke with Thursday appeared to believe the 31-year-old had a car, house, and savings account to be defrauded of. “It was so kind of him to give me the benefit of the doubt like that, calling me out of the blue and then proceeding with his hustle as if I were a person who had assets worth exploiting,” said Franklin, adding that it was just nice to pick up the phone for once and hear from someone who not only called him sir, but treated him like a person accustomed to a lifestyle in which such honorifics were bestowed upon him routinely. “Was there something in the way I spoke that made him think I’m a man of means? Because I’m not sure what else he had to go on. Man, I wonder what kind of house he thinks I have! I realize he’s a criminal, but still, it’s not every day I talk to someone who thinks I have enough financial resources to merit their attention. With the compliment he paid me, I almost feel like I should have paid him something in return.” Franklin went on to acknowledge that when his conversation with the scammer began to wind down, he acquiesced and gave the man his Social Security number just to prolong the fantasy a bit longer.