What a scam! I was driving along by Lido Penninsula and two young Italian men in a bright yellow "coop or similiar car" stopped me and asked if I speak Italian. I said no and they proceeded to ask me for directions to LAX. There english was very broken and he said they were lost.
Then he pulled over and proceeded to give me a story about flying out to italy tonight and he had some jackets he wanted to give me becuase I was being so polite and helping him. He said he was opening up a new store in South Coast Plaza and I could be his guest at the grand opening.
He in turn, gave me 3 leather jackets and 1 suede one. He then gave me his phone number along with his friends ToTo Re Matteo (01139-331-61-29-26) and Erico Salvaci (01139 563-87-7261. He then told me that when I am in Italy I am to look him up and he and his father would show me around.
Then the sob story came. He spent the night with this girl and she stole his rolex, credit card and $1,000.00 from him. He had no way to pay for the car rental and other expenses to get back to Italy. So he asked me if I could give him some money and he would wire it back the next day between 4 and 5pm.
I am a kind and generous person and thought these kids are lost and really need my help. So as a kind american I told him I'd help him out. They seemed like nice guys. CLean cut, nice Armanie dresser etc.., They proceeded to showed me his passport quickly and what looked like to be a plane ticket. Then they gave me their names and phone numbers (probably alias).
So, yes I am an idiot I offered him $500.00 but he said that was not enought to pay for everything (crying again)... Yes I am an idiot and I gave him USD 1,000.00. I didn't care about the jackets. I thought it was a nice jesture on his part. I just wanted to help them especially when his eyes got watery and the son of a gun started crying! The guy even hugged me.
The jackets have labels missing, one says made in china and I am confident that some day they will get theirs and get caught! They better get caught before I run into them again!
Scammed by Two Italians!
Russell
Newport Beach, California
U.S.A.
0 comments