Trampa de confianza (Confidence trick)


Encontré un artículo bien interesante sobre las estrategias que usan los estafadores para engañar a las personas. Lo traduje, pues entiendo que es muy importante aprender esto para no dejarse deslumbrar cuando personas en las calles nos ofrezcan “oportunidades”.

Una trampa de confianza o engaño de confianza es un intento de defraudar a una persona o grupo al ganar su confianza. La víctima es la persona engañada, el embaucador se llama estafador, embustero, estafador, piadoso, y se hace pasar por el “hombre de confianza. Estos estafadores explotan las características de la psique humana, tales como la codicia, la deshonestidad y la honestidad, la vanidad, la compasión, la credulidad, la irresponsabilidad, la ingenuidad, y la idea de tratar de obtener algo de valor a cambio de nada o de algo mucho menos valioso.

El primer uso conocido de la palabra "hombre de confianza" (En ingles “confidence man”), fue en 1849. Fue utilizado por la prensa estadounidense durante el juicio de William Thompson. Thompson,, el cual siempre andaba bien vestido, se le acercaba a las personas con el “cuento” de que pretendía conocerlas. El hablaba con los desconocidos y luego de un rato le preguntaba si tenían la confianza de prestarle su reloj, con lo cual luego de tener el reloj se marchaba y no volvía. Fue capturado cuando una víctima lo reconoció en la calle.

Rentan casa amueblada a mitad de precio


Estaba buscando un lugar para mudarme, y encontré una súper oportunidad. Era un apartamento amueblado con 3 habitaciones, por el precio de un apartamento de 1 habitación sin amueblar. Por suerte soy escéptico, He inmediato dude, y leí el email con atención. Supuestamente era un Ingeniero que se había mudado para Inglaterra y quería rentar su casa, y quería rentarla a “alguien de confianza”…. Lo bueno del caso es que desde el 1er email te dicen que ya tú pareces la persona ideal, cuando apenas uno ha preguntado algunos detalles por la vivienda. Este engaño es clásico, pues ilusionan a la persona, la hacen pensar que obtendrán algo a un precio excepcional, y eso hace que las personas pierdan toda capacidad de racionamiento. Es un poco drástica, pero siempre me recuerdo de esta frase que me enseño mi padre “Nadie te da ventaja. Cuando te la estén dando, duda”.

Este engaño puede aparecer de distintas maneras: Misioneros religiosos que están lejos y quieren rentar, profesionales trabajando fuera del país, viejos retirados etc.

Bueno, encontré a alguien en internet que le dio seguimiento para ver cómo es que las personas caen en el engaño, y el truco es que te piden un depósito que debes depositar en el banco, para reservar la vivienda. Aquí les dejo los emails en ingles:

***here is the original email that I received from a reply that I made for a craigslist ad titled "$800 / 3br - Immaculate, New 3 BR"

“Thanks for the interest in my house. I Mr Olga Pashkevich own the 3 bedroom Home and i also want you to know that it was due to my transfer that makes me and my wife leave the house so i want to give it out for rent thats why am looking for a responsible person that can take very good care of it like his or her own.as we are not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean at all time and be taking good care of.

I pray that the person that will rent my house takes it as if it were his or her own. So for now, We are here in west Africa,Nigeria our new house.we are having all the keys and all vital documents right here with us,we try to look for an agent that we can give this documents to before weleft but could not see and also we are as well cautious about not wanting our house be used any how out of our present that is why we took the keys and all documents along with us.

Me and my wife and our 15 years son are presently in West Africa working in an AIDS orphange with missionaries from our church.so i hope you will solicit us to take very good care of the house and maintain it.So i can be rest assured i finally found a caring one to take good care of our house.so get back to me on how you could take care of our house or perhaps experience you have in renting home. Hope you are okay with the price of $800(per month) with hydro,heat laundry facilities,wacher,heat air condition and so on. I am looking forward to hear from you ASAP, below is the application form for you to fill and discuss on how to get the house for rent.

This is the address of the home below.
1620 Indaba Way Charleston, SC 29414

RENT APPLICATION FORM
Also,Pls let me get this answer.
1)Your Full Name
2)Your Full Address & Phone Number
3)How old are you?
4)Are you married?
5)How many people will be living in the house?
6)Do you have a pet?
7)Do you have a car?
8)Occupation?
9)What is your religion?
10)Are you born again?

Looking forward to hear from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file incase of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you.Await your soonest response so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys to you,please we are giving you all this base on trust and again i will want you to stick to your words,you know that,we have not seen yet.am only putting everything into Gods hand,so please do not let us down with this our property and God bless you more as you do all this.you can call me on my private phone.+2348033340806 so we can talk on phone.
Regards.
Await your reply. ”

***I never called the number but did reply in email. I gave him my name, address, and phone number. He replied back with this:

“Hello Halley.
Thanks so much for the email.infact after the reading of your email.i was touched in the spirit that i have the right family for my house.we will be very happy to have you as our tenant.we will be staying here for good 2 years.

So you are free to stay as long as you can.and even when we get back to the state.we will be relocating else where.i also have my furnitures in there.but if you have yours.you are free to furnish it to your taste and pack my things at the store house i have at the backyard.we would like to send the following document to you via DHL to the
address you will be providing to us and the tracking number will be sent to you so that you can possibly occupy our house,

Please once again, we are giving you this on trust and do solicit not to dissapoint us.i promise you that you will love the house. So we are with the below document here with us.you will only need to make the Payment of a security Rent deposit for the shipment of the Keys and all the vital documents to the address you have provided to us.your monthly fee includes all the utilities.i am missionary and we really need to reach out good things to the world because the source of leaving is quite outrageous.

Now that am out of town.its a blessing from the lord.not the money that matters here.i just want good care for my house.so please make sure you take very good care of the house for me.do it like just your own.

However i seem to be giving you consideration because you seem to be the most elligible of all the applicants,and am particular about a family that will take care of my home like theirs.first and Importantly you need to send me $600 for your security deposit payment which is refoundable,if you don't like my housei also want to let you know this is made with one bond of trust and under all sincerety of the heart.I want you to maintain and live in the house avoiding all forms of demage and trouble, and God will surely bless you in hundred folds and more.
The package will be posted on the same day of the rent payment transfer and delivered at your current address through DHL/UPS postal delivery service on the nextday (within 24hrs), and pick up details will be sent to you in advance via email.
You can go ahead,and hope you will keep to your promise,all i want is to confirm your seriouness.Go ahead and make out the payment.all you have to do is go to any Western Union Money Transfer near you get the Money wired to the information bellow.after getting the keys and all the vital documents you need with you for move in.i have trusted you already.i pray everything works out as i wish and as you promise.Here is how to make your security deposit payment to me so i can send the keys and all the vital documents to you asap.

THE CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE THAT WILL BE SEND TO YOU ARE LISTED BELOW;
1) House Entrance keys and the rooms Keys
2) House Rental form(Containing your reference details)
3) The house documetary file
4) Security deposit payment Receipt
5) Full address and description of the house.
6)Agreement lease which you will sign and send it back to me
THIS ARE THE INFORMATION THAT WILL BE REQUIRED IN MAKING THE PAYMENT
Payment receiver's name:Mr Olga Pashkevich
Receiver's address: 24A St jude's cathedral way, Lagos,Nigeria, West Africa. 01234
Payment transfer Test Question: Who made you
Payment transfer Test Answer: God
Amount transfered: $ 600

1:Sender's Full Name..................
2:Sender's Address....................
3:MTCN of 10 digits number issued to you by western union
4:Amount Sent..................
5:Text Question and Answer................

Note: walk into any western union money transfer outlet, pick up a money transfer form, fill it out and make the money transfer. (fill in the money transfer sender's name,address etc)
Get back to me with the money transfer receipt details for confirmation and reference purpose.And you can move in as soon as you want to ok.may our gracious Lord contineu to enrich you and your household as whole.

The package will be posted on the same day of the confirmation of your security deposit payment transfer.and the package will be delivered at your current address through DHL postal delivery service on the nextday ok.and also pick up details will be sent to you in advance via email.”



***A little fishy huh?? So, I replied back to him with the following email.

“Hi Mr. Pashkevich,

Could you tell me a bit more information about yourself? Other than missionary work, what else have you been involved in? Also, I would love to know what church you were involved with in Charleston. Having only been in the area for a few months, I have not found a place I feel that is home. Where is your family originally from and why did you choose Charleston, SC to come to? I look forward to seeing your place so that I can take care of it for you. The lord works in mysterious ways.

Halley”


***and got this back. seems as though he's a little frantic... I haven't responded after this one. Good luck to you all!!!

“Subject: GET BACK TO ME ASAP!!

Hello Halley.

Thanks for your mail.missionary is work.i devote my mind to work for the lord since my child hood.Elizabeth Baptist in Charleston.i want to let you no you will love this house and you will surely love it ok.you don't have any problem in renting my house.i have the faith will call it home ok.Charleston has a nice school district and I know it has a beautiful neighborhood with several parks in it which seem nice.i have somebody else that has been mailing me about the house,like i said in my last mail you seem to be giving you consideration because you seem to be the most elligible of all the applicants,and am particular about a family that will take care of my home like theirs.first and Importantly you need to send me $600 for your security deposit payment which is refoundable.right now have preper all the keysand document and all you need for move in.kindly send the money so i can tell the DHL/UPS postal delivery service TO SEND YOU THE pakage to you,i also want to let you no that does thing will get to your corrent address with 24 hours.not that i'm much concern about your money, i only need someone responsible that can take good care of my house.get back to me ASAP.

Thanks and God bless you.”