scams

Scams

Everyone seems to have an easy way to earn money. It seems to have become the Indian way of life. From the big industrialized businessman to the bunk shop owner, everyone, young and old alike, seemed to have found ways of defrauding the banks, their parents neighbours and the general public. It has even affected our little town (now smart city) of Vellore.

My  neighbour was frantic.

"My son's car has been stolen." She said.

"From where?" I asked.

"He had parked it in the popular supermarket. He went inside for just a minute and  when he came out it was gone."

"What about his laptop and other things?"

"Fortunately," she continued," he had left it all in the office today."

It sounded strange to me. He never left his laptop anywhere. It was like an extra appendage.

The mother thought the son was an angel. She kept him on a tight leash, took his salary and gave him an allowance. He lived at home. Unknown to her (but common knowledge to the rest of us) he smoked, drank, partied took ganga and had a girlfriend. All very expensive pursuits. His car was old, used to belong to his uncle and was decrepit enough to have been given to him free. Who would possibly want to steal it?

After a couple of months, he collected the insurance money.  His mother took pity on him and bought him a new car. Then one day after a few drinks too many he blurted out the truth.

Desperate for money, he sold the car to some people from the neighbouring state. He left the keys in the ignition, they made off with the car, he made a  triple profit, insurance sale and a new car to boot!

Listening to this story another man had a brainwave. He worked, but did not earn much. His parents were wealthy, in Qatar and stingy to boot. They repeatedly told him, " you are our only son, all this for you-- but not now."

One day, when they were in India on holiday he disappeared from his office. After a couple of hours his parents got a phone call.

"Don't inform the police. leave  5 lakhs in a bag on the railway station platform and we will release your son."

"Let us speak to him," said the frantic parents.

"Ma, help, listen to them," said the  son.

"Give us two days to arrange the money," said the parents.

"We will starve your son for those two days."

The parents transferred the money and the two hours later the son turned up in a call taxi.

He paid the  driver by the time the parents came out. The mother was beating her chest and wailing. (She had not stopped weeping since he disappeared).

He was not dishevelled or hungry.

"WHere did you get money to pay for the taxi? Asked the father.

"Oh, the kidnappers took pity on me and gave me Rs 500 to reach home".

"They did not ill treat you?'

"Oh no, " they even let me have a bath---."

Dr Gita Mathai

http://velloretimes.blogspot.in/