Beware of new-style fraud

Beware of new-style fraud

From Media Indonesia

On Oct. 20, my wife, as usual, went to school to teach. She took an M28 public car plying the Pondok Gede-Kampung Melayu route.

On the way, someone got into the car, carrying a package containing a bird, which could "speak" just like an expensive bird. (Allegedly he used a cassette to produce the bird's speech.) The man turned out to be accompanied by five of his accomplices. These accomplices pretended to be interested in the bird and they all seriously haggled over the price of this bird. My wife was taken in by all this simulated haggling and was lured into buying the bird, which cannot produce even a word. (We still keep the bird as our proof.) She exchanged her cell phone for this bird, which according to a bird seller, is just a bird of bad omen.

One of the man's accomplices also gave my wife his address and telephone number, both, upon verification, proved to be fake. Of course we have reported this matter to the police.

So, if you usually take M28/M18/M19 public cars plying Pondok Gede and Kampung Melayu route, you must beware of this trick, which seems to be the trend now.

ZAINUDIN SYAM

Jakarta