So after reading pretty much the same story that happened to me in the U.S. And in the U.K., I don't feel as bad anymore knowing that I'm not the only one and that apparently this is some kind of world wide scam. Either way, here is how it went for me.
I stepped out of my house in a pretty centric part of barcelona on my way to gym when a guy driving a Mercedes A class stops me asking for directions to the italian Embassy. I said I had no idea but then the guy starts telling me his life story, which went like this. He was supposedly an italian model who had been here for a fashion show at the Fira Barcelona with Emporio Armani. He even showed me a photo of himself with 2 guys and Armani on his cellphone, he seemed vaguely familiar but not caring too much about Fashion I just assumed it to be true. He told me he had gone to a club, Bikini, close to my house and met a hispanic woman who he took home to his hotel. The next morning she had robbed him of everything and here he was, with a passport, without money and with only his rental car and a few armani jackets.
Now these jackets he offers to me for free right away, without asking for anything in return, simply stating that he can't take them with him to Los Angeles because of taxes and such, so he just wants to get rid of them. 3 supposed Emporio Armani Jackets, total worth of about 5000, for free. I must be retarded to believe it, I know. Anyway, once he convinces me to take them, he then asks for the favor. 500 to pay for the rental car once he gives it back at the airport. After a long talk with him and my mother who later joined us, a talk to his supposed father in L.A. Who also spoke a convincing italian and constant reassurances to pay me back. He convinced me. So I gave him the 500, in part for the jackets and in part just to be nice, with my account number and everything os he can bay me pack too. And thats how it ended. I got home to find out there was no fashion show in barcelona and then I found examples of people who had almost the exact same thing happen to them.
So this event kind of broke my faith in humanity, so don't trust anyone you don't know, and even be wary of them! Apparently, you never know whos gonna rob you and how.
Danny
Barcelona
Spain
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