Not all sweet talk is likely to have a sweet outcome

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The Tardeo police have booked two alleged accused for duping an investment banker of Rs 17.90 crore under the pretext of selling him paintings of famous artists.

The investment banker approached the police to register a complaint against two people. According to the FIR, the victim met the alleged scammers socially and was introduced to one of them as a person knowledgeable about art. A friendship was then formed and ‘artsy' conversations ensued. Soon the alleged accused ‘sold' this man paintings bandying famous names, saying they were worth crores. Pictures of these paintings were sent to the businessman, in a bid to gain his trust.

After the paintings were bought and cash paid, the complainant learnt that these were fake. It was a shocking discovery and both these alleged scammers are on the radar now, though not nabbed as yet. It goes to show the modus operandi of these conmen. They have a slick tongue. They entrap their target by learning about his interests or vulnerabilities, weaknesses. They gradually earn trust through certain actions. They impress their target, by pretending to be a friend, using famous names or claiming connections that they never have. The Internet and your mobile device are their unwitting ally. They google search and learn about the famous, celebrities and names from these channels. Photos and videos are made at times, as we live in a visual age and pictures are seen as ‘proof' to buttress claims.

People must guard against slick, sweet talk that seems to be moving too fast. Constant talks about connections, which one should be able to check with some of these ‘famous' names themselves, even if it takes time. Offers and prizes that simply seem too good to be true, because most of the time if they do seem that way, they most probably are too good to be true. Caution and scepticism must be above all.