Oh, Another Conman!

I have been conned a couple of times, earlier today’s was not that hurting, notwithstanding, it represents another episode in life!

Our son had bought a new car, so we decided to help him dispose of his older his car, since he is so very busy with his work. We promptly bought a classified advertisement in The Star.

A Mr Wong called. “Can you bring the car to Pudu where my shop is?” Selling a used BMW323i is not easy. I was happy to oblige, but Pudu was quite foreign to me.

“Can we meet at Ampang Park instead?” He was happy to compromise.

I led him to where the car was parked. His lack of interest in the car was a little suspicious, but he looked very decent. He told me that his name was Wong. Since I was not conversant in Cantonese, we spoke in English. His was passable.

We adjourned to the nearby fast food outlet to talk. I had advertised the car for RM105K ono. He suggested RM102K, but we agreed to settle for RM103K.

He asked me to give him a lift to his shop in Pudu. In the car, he gave the impression that he was ringing his wife to arrange for a cheque of RM13K as deposit. The wife appeared to be asking him to pick up some medicine at Sungei Wang Complex. My wife who was accompanying me was not too happy with the detour, since traffic at Friday lunch time in that part of the world has always been very dreadful to us. However, I was prepared to oblige.

I stopped by a side road for him to run up to pick the medicine for his wife. A couple of minutes later, he rang up to ask me to meet him at the side entrance.

“Mr Lim, I have not brought enough money, can you please lend me MR245?”

“Sorry, Mr Wong; I don’t know you at all. Even though it is a small amount, how can I possibly lend you money just like that?”

“Oh, oh, never mind, I will buy 4 instead of 16 my wife has asked me too.” He “telephoned” his wife to advise.

I returned to my car and told my wife that we might have encountered a conman.

True enough, he didn’t appear again. His number had also gone out of service immediately after that.

Saw Hwa was pretty upset. I told her that’s life! It was HIS way of earning a living!

We even forgot we still had not had our lunch yet!