An article regarding scammers selling fake leather jackets.
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I had somebody try this on me many years ago so it is nothing new.
I was walking to my car from a job in Sydney’s inner west down a back street and a well dressed young bloke driving by stopped to ask directions. We chatted a little, he was very personable. Then he asked sort of sheepishly if I could help him out. The short story was he was an international sales rep for a fashion house (the name escapes me) and he was just finished a tour of the Sydney retailers, he was flying out that afternoon and had his samples in the back of the hire car. The problem was he couldn’t take them on the plane and had no time to make other arrangements. He wanted me to take some of his leather coats that were, he said, worth $500 each. Within 5 minutes he was helping me into a coat my size on the side of the road! He was so embarrassed, but I could have them for $100 each as he had no choice they just had to go. When I hesitated he said OK $75.
I am no expert on leather coats but I know enough to realise that I didn’t know what I was looking at, never having worn such a high fashion make. He was so good I wanted to believe him. I said no and told him I had to get to my next job. He shook my hand, gave me a big smile and drove off looking for another mark.
Note the key points:
- a bargain that is too good to be true
- invite you to be a good Samaritan,
- urgency, no time to stop and think,
- personal appeal of the salesman,
- cash only,
- appeal to vanity.
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Had that happen with hi-end hi-fi equipment, being sold out of the back of a van. All new, top quality, needing to get rid of it quickly or he’d be in trouble with his boss… etc.
Reported them to the Police, who said they had received a number of reports and were going to find them to look into it. Never heard anything more about it.
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