I woke up naturally at 9.30am today. The streets outside my window were absolutely quiet. There were no pedestrian, no garbage man with their annoying garbage truck, no bicycle bells ringing, not even the noise of people chit-chatting on the street. The usual sunlight that shined through my window every morning was also nowhere to be found. For once, my Monday morning is free from its usual hustle bustle. It is a Bank Holiday today. That explains everything - well, apart from the sunlight.
I've been hesitating about posting the incident after my last paper on Thursday. Few reasons actually. Firstly, I was still in denial, hoping that it was not what I think was, trying to think positively despite the odds. Then, there was this issue of pride. But when I woke up this morning, I realized that if there's anything to be learned from this incident, its that reality wears a mask of deception and it can be very brutal. Thus, I have to acknowledge that in order to move on.
On the 21st of May, I happened to pay a very huge price just for a very simple lesson - trust.
On my way back home from uni, I was stopped by this Italian guy claiming to be a model for Armani and the son of the president of Pirelli, Marco Tronchetti Provera. He was robbed off his credit cards and money on that morning and he had to catch a plane later in the afternoon. He couldn't afford any delay as this would put him in the position of breaching a contract worth a few 10 thousands when he gets back to L.A. With the information he printed off, I helped him to call the Italian embassy and the Italian consulate, which at the end, happened to be closed in the afternoon.
He needed money to pay off his rental car. And since he didn't have any account in U.K., he couldn't arrange any bank transfer or utilize any emergency scheme. Judging his sincerity and desperation, I offered to lend him my bank account as a point of transfer. So, we tried to go to different banks and ask for such services. He stayed in the car all the time when I go into the banks, but he did have a valid reason - worrying about parking fine since he couldn't afford any at all.
Effort was futile. Despite spending about 2+ hours together with him, we couldn't figure out a workable plan. I offered him my credit card since I can always report lost. He declined saying that its against his principles to commit crime. I offered to go to the airport with him to sort things out. He declined as well saying that I'll need a passport for credit card transaction in the airport, which at that point, I do not have it with me. I offered him £200 and he declined saying that this money won't be able to solve the problem. However, he did ask me if I've got friends who are able to help him out from his situation. I should have been able to see through such excuses if I wasn't determined to trust and help him. I ended up lending him £700 to pay for his car rental and fuel. He gave me a suit and 3 Armani labelled jackets with in return. He'd be taxed if he brought these clothing on board with him. His reasons made sense. But then, I became a victim of scam. It was bloody £700.
The whole incident stemmed from me trusting that guy, Flavio. He was indeed a very good actor, playing the role of a rich and young model stuck in London. He didn't care about how much money he'll need, but instead how he could get out from the situation. His story fitted well with what I imagine a rich kid will do. Through little things, he gained my trust. Some of the examples include declining some of my initial offers, the tourist map in the car, the printed invoice for the car, numbers for the Italian consulate, frequent calls with his "family", sample clothing to prove that he's a model and a few business cards of his banks in the states. He also spent some great effort in translating my name and address in Italian to someone across the phone on loud speaker so that the person can prepare my money order instantly. He also managed to make me to relate to him as well. One of the important turning point was when he asked me what I would do if I was in his position. At that instant, my suspicion about him just faded away and I was trying to be as helpful as possible.
There were also other factors that drove me into such situation. The desire of getting a reward was part of it. Although it wasn't an active driving force, it subconsciously made up my mind. Also, the fact that I wanted to prove Asians are not all stingy and selfish was another stupid driving factor. I wanted to be a good representation. That was really foolish of me.
After some failed attempts to google him up and contacting the contact details he gave, I went to the police station to report the case realizing that the whole thing might be a swindle. Unfortunately, the police said there was no crime committed since I wasn't threatened. Quoting the policewoman, "It was good faith."
I've invested £700 in good faith which yields no return but lost. As much as I want to be optimistic about humanity, reality has taught me the otherwise. How can I trust someone from now onwards? How can I be nice to strangers on the road when they might have some hidden agenda? Hah, if that is the reality we are living in right now, why should I bother to be different? The £700 can be earned back eventually, but it does put me in some dire situation.
I've lost my good faith and trust in humanity along together with that money. Until I find new reasons to believe in, don't expect much from me anymore. We've just witness a heart turned cold, a frozen soul. That is all to it.
