So I was on the way to do some shopping this afternoon and this guy walks up to me and offers to sell me a laptop; I acknowledge him and carry on walking whilst he starts babbling on about the specs like he's reading them off a cue card and I'm trying to act like I know little about computers and just 'want a laptop'.
Now this is a widespread and well-known scam which has taken many people and I thought I'd have a little fun with this guy.
So he tells me it's £350 for the laptop and that his father bought it for him to use at college, but he now wants to sell it to buy a motorbike. So I'm still humouring him and playing hard-to-get by saying that my brother told me to only buy a Dell (he had a VA|O) and that I could only withdraw £300 pounds anyway. We're still walking further down the market and then he tells me he needs to call his friend to sort out the price (which didn't really make sense coz he had said it was his laptop).
Now he starts trying to make small talk and act like my friend. I tell him that I'm unfamiliar with the area and had just been staying over with a friend to watch a boxing match (all BS). Now I was leading him on coz I knew he was going to ask me about the boxing. He started asking me about gloves and whether I was a boxer. I sprouted some shit I knew about gloves and then casually mentioned that I was an amatuer MMA fighter (BS). We carried on chatting and walking as really started to heave the BS in increasing quantities; how I'd brocken a guy's eye socket with a palm jab, not being able to fight for 3 months last year after having my arm hyperextended and just more BS. I tried not to overdo it, but it worked well enough in the end.
Anyways, we finally end up in a small parking lot a little off the market street were he proceeds to show me a really nice silever 740 Centrino VA|O (better than my ACER 4101) with some good specs. I was still debating with myself about exactly what I was going to do. I decided that I was going to trapse all the way to a cash machine and try to act like I had withdrawn money, so I made the decision to go for the machine itself. Now my leg was still halfway out the car door (he wanted me to close the door) and I probably should of just bolted then. I gave the machine a good once over. He then started to pack it away when I said I wanted to see the screen in the sunlight (weak) he grabbed the machine instantly and told me that only he could show me because I might run off with it. So while he's starting to move out of his side of the car decide impulsively to grab the laptop...
...but it was a slopply-executed grab and he managed to reach over and pull it back from me. I probably could have done a better job if I wasn't so nervous. Now I probably should have run around the car and adopted some BS fighting stance and charged the guy or something, but I had actaully started retreating and shouting death threats. Now this guy was certainly bigger than me and probably could have given me a decent beating, but now he just looked scared and confused. I, on the other hand, am scrawny, haven't had a fight since high school and haven't even been anywhere near fit for almost a year now. Then I notice his friend making an appearance from the other side of the lot. The guy by the car then shouted something at his friend and I decided to charge at the new, bigger guy. They both backed off and I continued to shout threats as I made my way back around the corner. I then decided to pick up a broom to go smash their car, but they had already left in the meantime.
Now, there is a bit more to this. I was assaulted and robbed last year and have been threatened on a number of occasions in London over the years. I had thought about what to do in such situations in future and I figured that bluffing is probably me best option after running. I really regret not rushing the first guy, but I probably figured in the back of my head that his partner was nearby (who's leave a laptop alone in a car?). I'm glad I gave them a good scare -even though they may eventually realise that it was only a bluff. I wonder if they think now that I knew about the scam or was just an opportunistic thief? So the moral of the story is you can make an impression by sitting on your arse and watching MMA matches.
Now I'm off to collect my laundry.
...
Now this is a widespread and well-known scam which has taken many people and I thought I'd have a little fun with this guy.
So he tells me it's £350 for the laptop and that his father bought it for him to use at college, but he now wants to sell it to buy a motorbike. So I'm still humouring him and playing hard-to-get by saying that my brother told me to only buy a Dell (he had a VA|O) and that I could only withdraw £300 pounds anyway. We're still walking further down the market and then he tells me he needs to call his friend to sort out the price (which didn't really make sense coz he had said it was his laptop).
Now he starts trying to make small talk and act like my friend. I tell him that I'm unfamiliar with the area and had just been staying over with a friend to watch a boxing match (all BS). Now I was leading him on coz I knew he was going to ask me about the boxing. He started asking me about gloves and whether I was a boxer. I sprouted some shit I knew about gloves and then casually mentioned that I was an amatuer MMA fighter (BS). We carried on chatting and walking as really started to heave the BS in increasing quantities; how I'd brocken a guy's eye socket with a palm jab, not being able to fight for 3 months last year after having my arm hyperextended and just more BS. I tried not to overdo it, but it worked well enough in the end.
Anyways, we finally end up in a small parking lot a little off the market street were he proceeds to show me a really nice silever 740 Centrino VA|O (better than my ACER 4101) with some good specs. I was still debating with myself about exactly what I was going to do. I decided that I was going to trapse all the way to a cash machine and try to act like I had withdrawn money, so I made the decision to go for the machine itself. Now my leg was still halfway out the car door (he wanted me to close the door) and I probably should of just bolted then. I gave the machine a good once over. He then started to pack it away when I said I wanted to see the screen in the sunlight (weak) he grabbed the machine instantly and told me that only he could show me because I might run off with it. So while he's starting to move out of his side of the car decide impulsively to grab the laptop...
...but it was a slopply-executed grab and he managed to reach over and pull it back from me. I probably could have done a better job if I wasn't so nervous. Now I probably should have run around the car and adopted some BS fighting stance and charged the guy or something, but I had actaully started retreating and shouting death threats. Now this guy was certainly bigger than me and probably could have given me a decent beating, but now he just looked scared and confused. I, on the other hand, am scrawny, haven't had a fight since high school and haven't even been anywhere near fit for almost a year now. Then I notice his friend making an appearance from the other side of the lot. The guy by the car then shouted something at his friend and I decided to charge at the new, bigger guy. They both backed off and I continued to shout threats as I made my way back around the corner. I then decided to pick up a broom to go smash their car, but they had already left in the meantime.
Now, there is a bit more to this. I was assaulted and robbed last year and have been threatened on a number of occasions in London over the years. I had thought about what to do in such situations in future and I figured that bluffing is probably me best option after running. I really regret not rushing the first guy, but I probably figured in the back of my head that his partner was nearby (who's leave a laptop alone in a car?). I'm glad I gave them a good scare -even though they may eventually realise that it was only a bluff. I wonder if they think now that I knew about the scam or was just an opportunistic thief? So the moral of the story is you can make an impression by sitting on your arse and watching MMA matches.
Now I'm off to collect my laundry.
...