What happened to my brother-in-law Pepe is usually referred to as “the old mustard scam” in The Guadalajara Reporter. That’s what I called it too, until last week when Pepe fell for it hook, line and sinker.
I should mention that in my Mexican family, Pepe is the guy everyone consults when in doubt: Which model car is the most reliable? Where can I find chia at the best price? Where should I invest my savings? Pepe reads the paper and Pepe is always well informed.
When I discovered that Pepe had never heard of the “old” mustard scam, it dawned on me that maybe the average Tapatio is not nearly as well informed about every-day estafas as the Reporter’s regular readers. So, I began to ask everyone I knew—even staff members of Monterrey Tec—and to my surprise I was unable to find even one person who had heard of this particular scam. So, just in case you are one of those many people, here’s Pepe’s story in brief.
In August he was wandering through a half-empty area of Soriana Las Aguilas supermarket when a tall, thin, well-dressed man in a suit and tie stopped him. “You’ve got something on your clothes,” he said in a concerned voice.
Pepe discovered there was a brown substance all over his back, from shoulder to shoe. “I smelled it, thinking from the color and consistency that it might be poop, but it smelled something like mustard,” he says.
“Don’t worry,” replied the distinguished man in the suit, “I’ll help you—come with me.”
They walked to the men’s restroom which appeared to be closed for maintenance. Inside were several individuals who immediately offered to help Pepe clean his shirt and pants. They just happened to have pieces of cloth, which they pointed out would work much better than paper towels. During the cleaning process, Pepe’s wallet was visible, lying on a shelf in plain sight. Nevertheless, four hours after he reached home, Pepe began to receive message after message on his cell phone indicating that his credit cards were being used. Only then did he check his wallet and discover that both his cards and all his cash were missing.
I still have not found a Mexican soul who ever heard of the old mustard trick, so I have decided to create a list of scams (engaños, trucos, estafas) commonly perpetrated in these parts, in Spanish and English, for the benefit of people who would like to pass this info along to their friends. Most of these, of course, come from back issues of The Guadalajara Reporter.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS MELON?
This is aimed at women who place their purse in a shopping cart as they push it around the supermarket. The questioner asking your opinion about a mango or melon is positioned in such a way that you have to look away from your shopping cart while you evaluate the fruit ... and while your wallet is removed from your purse.
WOULD YOU LIKE SOME ORANGE JUICE?
This takes place on an intercity bus or an airport shuttle bus. You chat with someone who seems friendly and honest. You accept a drink or food from that person and wake up hours later minus your luggage and cash.
CAN I HELP YOU CHANGE YOUR TIRE?
You drive your car out of the supermarket parking lot, not knowing that the bad guys have damaged one of your tires...just enough so it will go flat after a few blocks. The criminals follow you and when the tire goes flat they appear and offer to help you change it. While you look at the tire with them, an accomplice jumps into your car and steals your valuables ... and – if the key is in the ignition – your car as well.
SMELL THE PERFUME
You are wandering about a big department store, nowhere near the Cosmetics area. Nevertheless, you come upon a well-dressed woman with a tray of samples. She invites you to smell a new brand of perfume, which turns out to be chloroform. You fall unconscious and wake up without your money and credit cards.
A HELPING HAND AT THE ATM
You are waiting in line to use an ATM. Someone else in the line says something may be wrong with your card. You let the stranger look at it. When you arrive at the ATM, you discover the card you are now holding is a worthless fake.
DIRECTIONS, PLEASE
You are heading for your car in the supermarket parking lot. If you happen to have a purse or laptop hanging from a strap on your shoulder, you may be stopped by a person asking for directions to some well-known place in town. The idea is to distract you so a confederate on foot or on a motorcycle, can sneak up behind you and make off with your handbag or computer. You will probably not be thanked for giving good directions.
If your Mexican friends – like mine – have never head of these scams, you´ll find a Spanish version of these nasty tricks (and a few more) on my website, www.ranchopint.com. Just look for Scams/Engaños.