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Hey all,

Heard something on the radio today that was interesting...

The local radio show I listen to (Kidd Kraddick in the Morning) has a band of regulars. One is a former limo driver called: "Big Al Mack."

Apparently, some time ago, Big Al was in Cancun and hooked up with a "shot waitress" for the weekend.

After their little fling, he returned home and she returned to peddling shots to tourists. From what he described, that was all that was ever intended for either of them.

Well, a week or so ago, he gets a letter from her informing him that she was in an automobile accident. Two of her friends were killed, and she had broken both of her legs. She didn't have insurance (she was from Brazil originally, and was working to support herself alone...) She couldn't pay the medical bills. She wanted to know if he could send her $1200.

He was going to do it, but Kidd Kraddick talked him out of it. "How do you know this woman is telling the truth?" Big Al had never considered that she might be lying.

As is usual for the show, they opened it up for the listeners, and everyone called in to offer advice.

Overwhelmingly, the listeners told Big Al he was being played. (Interestingly enough, ALL of the women who called in said he was.)

Bowing to "public pressure" Big Al sent her a non-committal email asking about her general welfare.

She send him a copy of a newspaper article showing the accident as further proof. The newspaper article, however, did not list her name in the report. (It did list others.)

The next day on the call-in show, a listener suggested that Big Al email her and tell her that he was coming back to Cancun, and that he could see her (and possibly give her money) then. He did this.

She wrote back telling him that was great, and that she could come by his hotel when he came into town.

He wrote back and asked how she was going to do that with two broken legs, and she replied: "You misunderstood. My legs are not broken, I have strained ligaments. I can walk, although I limp." (He has the original email stating clearly that her legs were broken and in a cast.)

After more advice from callers, and he wrote her to ask if he should stop by her old place of work and get anything for her.

Well, she was not working there anymore. She was at a new place. Just started a new job. As a shot waitress. (For those of you who don't know what this job entails, a shot waitress carries a tray of shots around and gets people to buy them. A VERY highly mobile job. No way you could do it with your legs in a cast.)

So, now he REALLY suspects that it was all a line. Or, possibly most of it. Maybe she was in a small car accident, but not the one she claimed. And things were not as bad as she said. She obviously is not limping or hobbled. She surely doesn't have broken legs. And Big Al confesses that if he hadn't had the advice to the entire DFW metroplex, he surely would have sent her some money. Probably not the whole $1200, but certainly something.

Kidd Kraddick did the math and calculated how many men she had probably hooked up with in the course of one year, and how much money she is probably making on the scam -- even if 50% of the men are just sending $100.

I thought this was instructive for a few reasons.

First: It goes to show that when you ask for, and take advice, you are better off than making these kinds of decisions alone.

Second: The idea that women use sexual promises and favors to get things from men is nothing new, nor limited to Russia.

Finally: Whenever anyone asks you for money, verify the need is real. Even sending $50 a month feeds the monster.

... in response to Interesting Scam, posted by MarkInTx on Mar 25, 2003

n/t

... in response to Sounds Like Something Better-Suited for ..., posted by Dan on Mar 25, 2003

.

... in response to Interesting Scam, posted by MarkInTx on Mar 25, 2003

Caveat emptor! Buyer beware,good food for thought!