It was an ordinary day that dawned when my alarm went off at 6:15 am. I pulled on my trainers, laced them up and was off for my run. Returning as is my regular routine I took the 2 liter bottle of water from Gogoi the security and went back up the road to water the two Rosea trees we had adopted. Its my regular routine to help them grow -- Thats another story for another day.
Bougainvillea ablaze over the main wall in the farm.
Coming back I found Narsimappa my man from the farm with Naveen his son come to do a few chores in the building garden which our building maali is too lazy to do. Trim the Gul Mohur branches and the crazily growing sandpaper vine which had climbed up the tree.
The tabibuea in Baldwin Girl's School
Coming home the rest of the day seemed panning out to be the same, quiet and unhurried as I had finished my cooking and I needed to get the second chapter of my new book done. Mani the helper had left and I went into the kitchen to collect my glass of mosambi juice I had left in the fridge to chill. As I passed the dining table I saw Greg my husband sitting and making some notes on sheets of paper and talking to someone. I did not pay too much attention and went back to my writing.
Probably half an hour later I went out again to grab some chilled water from the fridge when I passed Greg talking earnestly to someone. I over heard him say -- I began working when I was 21, so I thought he was talking to a friend. But after swallowing the first sip of water I realised it was a really weird conversation as now he was telling the person what his address was and then his bank accounts and then---- when I heard his FD's which even I did not know I sniffed something really stinking.
So I walked up and asked what it was all about and he put his finger on his lips and said shuuush! Its the CBI and they are investigating me for some fake fraud case. WHAAAAT??? I said -- what case -- and the man on the other end demanded that he did not allow any one in and it was private and confidential as he was helping him extricate himself out of the mess. THAT was when I KNEW this was a scammer. I insisted on Greg cutting the call as I was able to see what he had written on some sheets of paper. Apparently a case of Money laundering and human trafficking had been slapped on him because of a courier he sent from DHL..
WHAT courier from DHL I asked?? Where have you sent a courier from DHL?? But he seemed scared and said just go away, I have to go to Delhi if I dont sort it like this. Sort what I asked?? The next thing I saw him running to his cupboard and giving the person on the other end more bank account details. He was even telling him details and amounts of what FDs he had which even I dont know. Thats when I decided which police officer would ask all these questions and I will call a real police officer to sort the issue. As usual he would not listen to me, so I HAD to get help.
Epsom salts brought by David has helped the bougainvillea to flower profusely
I called Francis Colaco who had helped me out of a fake case foisted on me a few years earlier. He immediately said tell Greg to cut the call and dont give any more information. But Greg was already too far sucked in and refused to cut the call. I was pretty desperate by then.
Just give your phone to him said Francis if he is not listening to you. Thankfully I did with the other guy still on speaker. "Francis speak to Greg there's a scammer on his phone and we need to catch him," I said loudly. Hearing Francis voice Greg snapped out of his crazy daze and need to give his details to the scammer and I was able to cut the call.
Organic brinjals thriving in the farm.
I have no idea how they get peoples numbers said Francis but you should cut the call as soon as a person starts talking about your cash and savings. No police officer will ever ask you all that. It happened in minutes as thankfully my gut feel said there's something wrong going on here. The questions were too crazy and personal and when he said private and confidential even your wife should not know, I was sure there was something wrong.
I have often wondered reading stories in the papers about senior citizens being scammed and when I saw it happening in my own home, right infront of me, I had never felt such fear before. It seemed like the scamster had some hold over Greg and he was refusing to listen to me. Finally it was Francis who shut the call down and I insisted Greg went to speak to him. I even called his elder brother to talk some sense into him.
We ARE in a dicey spot as he has given out too much sensitive information so we have to be wary. I have to be doubly wary as obviously these scamsters know exactly whom to target.
