Goa Gem Scem - A Real Life Report to warn

IchNurIch

Yes, I did it as well…

I am not an English-native speaker, and maybe that’s why I was not aware of the word “Gem Spam”, not until I fell for it myself. But there is no excuse… even not being aware of the english word I should have been aware of these practices when travelling around in Goa.

First of all: I want to express, that I don’t write this to get commiseration or anything similar. I have read several posts here about gem scam, now, too late, and just wanted to share the experience I have made. I want to warn others and, the intention closest to the heart for writing this, is to show up, how professional these people work, how trustful and polite they are. And what, if you do not know about scam and may be catched in a bad personal condition, can make you fall for it.

I was in Goa, Palolem, a couple of weeks ago, retiring from my work in India. From a personal view I was in a bad condition, burned out from work and besides this having problem with the boyfriend thousands of kilometres away in Europe. On the first evening I met an Indian guy, Safi, who astonished me because he spoke my language (not many Indians do) and was extremely friendly and nice. We started a conversation on several things, and soon a couple of other people joined us. Two of them, “Ali” and “Karma”, were introduced as cousins. They invited me for dinner at their house, but I refused going there finding it too dangerous. So we had a dinner on the beach, it was very nice, I felt comfortable, I had fun. It was exactly what I was hoping to find in Goa and what helped me to enjoy myself again. Very soon and extremely fast these people had won my trust, though usually being a very suspicious person. How they won my trust? Well, you have to experience it by yourself. They radiated calmness, positive energy, warmth, they were clever and funny on top. And the beautiful Palolem beach gave the rest. The “three cousins” introduced themselves as part of a big jewellery company, living in Switzerland, France and Australia. The fact that they seemed to have a lot of money didn’t impress me as much as their personalities. I met them again the next three days, making party or just chilling on the beach. I spent nearly every single minute with them. I left Palolem on a Monday, heading off back to work, and it was not until I sat in the taxi that I realized I hadn’t paid a single rupee that weekend. Being back at work I missed Palolem and the people very much. They wrote text messages, asking how I was and I fell like they cared. Thinking about this now, I must admit I was naïve, but I believed, that these were good and friendly people. The pictures (please remember for later that I made pictures) cheered me up at work.

I went back to Palolem the next weekend, and met them again. Again we had an amazing time together and I spent a lot of time with Ali. A funny young man, good looking, extremely clever and smart. He made the impression of someone with a good heart, he told me about his life in Australia, about his experience in a charity project, he listened to my problems and gave me, with his words and presence, so much strength and positive energy. I felt comfortable with him and just lived for the moment. Until then: not a single word of jewellery parcel or doing business. Oh wait: Once he asked me, if I would ever like to work on a jewellery exhibition in Sweden for him. That was all. The question, how much I earn, didn’t make me suspicious (by the way, suspicious is a word you will face often in this text ), people in my country ask that as well. I told them I was planning to go to Mumbai two weeks later and if they wanted to join me.

Two weeks later my life broke into pieces. First my boyfriend broke up on the phone after 8 years relationship. I was sad, helpless. But nevertheless I flew to Mumbai to meet Karma and Ali again, I thought it would be good for me to have someone around me. I was happy to see them again, especially Ali, and I was happy, to have found people I felt so close to. They picked me up from the airport, we took a hotel together and they helped me forget my sadness about the broken relationship for a while. They gave me strength and made me feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel. It was on the second evening, that Ali talked to me about the business they make.
Tourists take jewellery and gems with them or these are being sent as a parcel to the home country. They would save some money (250%) by saving taxes and I would get a “little” amount when handing over the parcel to the contact in my country. I refused doing this, it seemed not right to me doing something like this. Well, it IS not right, I know…A day later, it was a Sunday, I changed my mind. Don’t ask me why, I ask myself today as well. Only the following thing I can recover from my mind: I trusted these people, I could need some extra money after the break up and, last but not least, how naïve: I wanted to do them a favour because they had given me such a good time.
On Sunday night we flew back to Goa. I might the “fourth” cousin, Aly, who owed the shop in a place of which I can’t remember the name. Sad, that, when you try to live the moment, just turn off all your senses. We had some party at night and I shared a room with Ali, whom I started to like more and more. I met Safis girlfriend, a really nice women from the UK, who told me she sells jewellery in the UK. The next day we went to the gem shop, Safi, his girlfriend Jess, Aly and Ali were there as well. It was all very professional. The gems and some jewellery was on a table. I had to write down the amount and type of gem on a piece of paper, check the parcel it was put into and put it in myself. Several paperstuff was done, copies of my passport were made and a “file” was created for me. I signed several documents, read through everything carefully and can today not even remember what was written on it. Similar to other posts I read other files were shown to me. It all seemed extremely professional and trustworthy. They handed the parcel over to me and I kept it with me the whole night. Ali who was sharing a room with me, was not there half the night and I really thought “Wow, they must trust”. Today I ask myself: Where the hell should I have gone at night? The next day we dove to a big post office in panjim. I can’t really remember why, but we left it without giving the parcel away. We drove off to another small post office and I handed the parcel over to the postman. You see: They give you the feeling, you are a part of everything and nothing happens without your knowledge. Safi let me fill out some forms for the custom (the telephone number of the new hotel was written down on it) and went to the customs, Ali and I went to the new hotel in Panjim, went to watch a bollywood movie and had a great time.
The next morning the phone rang, there was a lady on the phone, saying she is working for the customs and asking me, how I paid for the jewellery and that they would like to see the payment proof within 48 hours. Exactly at this moment Safi came in. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Not today. I got panic, and this is the moment I lost all my senses. I was afraid, scared. But I thought they would manage it, I trusted. They asked me, whether I could afford to pay half of the money. They needed proof I had paid them money with my credit card they said. I had three cards with me, a very limited private card, an Amex with limited personal usage and my colleagues credit card. I called my ex boyfriend, asked him to lend me some money and transfer it to my Amex account. I called my bank to get to know the limits and how much money I have. I started transfering money from one account to another. I was totally broken, I cried and was afraid. Ali calmed me down, saying everything will be fine, he helped me. We drove off the hotel to a court, where we met Aly. Some of the documents in the file where stamped there and signed by us and a notary. We drove back to Alys apartment (did I meantion it was “painted orange with murals of a mermaid, Buddha and dragon on the wall”) and shortly afterwards I found myself in a plane to Mumbai. Here I paid the first time with my credit card. The next day, we then went again on a plane (Ali joined me) to fly to the place were I had to work. It was thursday Two more days were left until my return to Europe. I should have been suspicious, that I had to change my hotel, but after asking them they said they wanted to keep me away from custom because they might ask questions. After work we drove to several ATM machines getting money from there. I gave Ali the bills that should be shown to customs, I kept the money, later I gave it to him before my flight. So we drove from one ATM machine to the next in a tuc tuc. I was in panic, afraid, but I trusted. The evening Ali phoned with Safi, he got loud on the phone, started walking around nervously, the only thing I could understand was the word “permission”. After hanging up he threw his phone through the room, he had tears in his eyes. I was scared, I wanted to know what happened, and he said that I don’t have a permission to leave the country. I was in panic, I cried, and, not one single moment, tried to have a calm mind, tried to sort it. What should I do? I was trying to smuggle something, whom should I contact? Custom, Police, German Embassy? Again, I trusted Ali. The next day was horrifying, I didn’t know whether I was allowed to leave the country. Again in the evening we got some money from the ATM machines and we bough some gold in some shops. I was wondering, why it would help to have bills from other shops but he told me that its just about the credit card receipt. I was wondering, that he before told me they had shops in the city. I worked and we now went to unknown shops. I asked why, but I can’t remember the answer he gave. My flight was supposed to leave at 12:30 at night. I got “the permission” 2 hours before. They paid bacshish so I could leave; that’s what they told me. We drove around so much in the city that we were very late to get to the airport. Everything came within seconds. He asked me to delete all pictures I had from him and the others and I did so (it was not until Germany that I recognized I hadn’t deleted the bin, so I stoll have the pictures of them). I was under such a pressure, that I wondered about this, but didn’t ask. We packed our things, left the hotel and drove off to the airport: He gave me half a bank note, saying I should only give the parcel to a person holding the other half. He told me everything would be fine. And I told him, that I was falling into him. Situations like these make you feel very close to a person. I arrived the airport at 00:20, but I got my flight. The first time since 5 days I was just sitting there, not rushing from one place to another, not feeling like my heart was stuck in my throught.
Everything will be fine I thought, over 50 % is payed and they will release the parcel.
I came back to Germany, a few hours later Ali called me, telling me, that a little bit more money has to be transferred, via Western Union. I asked, why not via the bank account and he said it would take too long. I was afraid, I knew my company would soon send me back to India again and I knew I wasn’t able until things were solved. He told me not to answer the phone anymore when he, Safi or Karma called, because both were at the custom to get things sorted. I should only pick up after he’s given me 2 missed calls and only talk, when he called me by a special name. I asked why, he said because the custom might want to reach me and ask questions, uncomfortable questions. I got a credit from my bank over a big amount of money and started transferring money via western union. I sent the money to different names, it never was his name or one of the persons I knew. Asking him why he said that he is travelling around getting files from Kerala, Delhi etc where they have their offices. He called me every day, and told me what is happening. He told me two Belgium guys doing this business have been caught and that’s why they custom were suspicious with my parcel. He told me their company is in big trouble and that Safi and Aly are at custom the whole time to get things sorted. Another day he told me two more people ad been caught from Europe. So I paid. I just wanted to get things cleaned up on my name. I wanted to travel back again to the country that I fell so much in love with. Sometimes I paid several days behind each other, sometimes there was a week break between payments. One day he called me, he was crying on the phone, saying Aly was put into prison. He was crying for half an hour, saying he looses faith and hope. He told me they were at the customs in Mumbai and the Court in Delhi with lawyers and a legal advisor. He told me he would get my name cleaned up. Sometimes we were just chatting, that we missed each other and things like that. I did, I honestly did miss him. So the time past by, full of fear and mental pressure. Several times Ali called me without giving me missed calls, he spoke on my mailbox, sometimes there was someone else speaking, saying “say something to her” (I had it translated). Sometimes I had up to 6 calls a day. Nearly EVERY day. I assumed it was the custom. I asked him, if it wouldn’t be better to speak to them and tell them, that I bought it for private purposes. Ali said they would ask questions, that they are still suspicious because I hadn’t paid for the insurance for example. I several times got the number of the custom myself, but I never called. That was, when I realised, that I had nothing in my hands. No proof, no bill, no shipping number, nothing. Not even a name. Ali kept calling me, but there were no news in India, nothing happened. He sometimes called and asked me very nervous, if there was someone who had contacted me here and asked me about thing. He always seemed very nervous then. I wondered why there was sometimes up to a week between two transactions, he said they can only get it when custom demands for it.
Now, last Friday, 6 weeks after I had left India, I have done my last transaction, a small amount of 400 Euros. On Monday the money was picked up, on Monday evening Ali gave me a missed call, the sign that he is alright but not able to talk. On Tuesday morning he again called me, very nervous, frightend in his voice asking again if someone contacted me asking me about all these things. I never asked, who should have contacted me. He told me to keep up with the story that I bought the jewellery and say nothing about business. He said he’d call me back. He didn’t. He didn’t call back more than 3 days. No answer to my calls, no messages, no Email , nothing.
And this was, when I realized, that I had asked many questions, that I was suspicious the whole time, but because of the pressure and the fear I had wasn’t able to just calm down and think for a moment and realize, how they were manipulating me. I seriously stood in front of a mirror and slapped myself to wake me up. To realize, that I had been betrayed. And, that I made it easy for them to betray me. I has been naïve, an easy “victim”. I had put all my trust in these people, especially in Ali, they made me feel better in my personal bad situation. I simply forgot to think about the risks and forgot the reality. It was not until then that the thought came into my mind, that I had always walked around with sunglasses. Sunglasses, through which these people were the personification of friendliness and trust for me, people with a good heart. And suddenly I realzided, that living in the moment keeps you away from reality…
I started surfing in the web, searching, for something, and somehow I found this post:
http://roughguides.evecommunity.com/...1/m/7331081363
At this moment everything bursted inside me, I felt helpless, angry. I wrote Ali a message that I know everything and called him and he went on with his story, telling me he would explain everything but not now. And I feel reliefed. Reliefed? Yes, because now I know this has an end. Now I know the truth. No more waiting for non existing customs, no more fear not to be able to travel back to India. I paid a high price for it, more than 30.000 Euro, and I will be reminded of this mistake at least the 2 years. Knowing me usually as a tough business women showed me, how people are able to manipulate others if they build up trust, are too naive and weak. And, that people giving strength and trust sometimes carry a heart of stone in themselves.
I know sit here, it is 6 am in the morning and I have had no sleep, but I needed to write this down for others. My intention was to show others, how these people work, they professionalism and why there are sometimes people, just like me, that are caught by them. Show up their methods and how extremely well they are organized.
I still have their pictures and from one person I have copied name and full address from his id card on a piece of paper. That is all I have. But is there anything I can do with these two things?! Report this to the police?
And what I have is the pain, that the best time spent in India was time I spent with people that betrayed me. A hard thing to understand and accept.
I have learnt for life, don’t pay this price for learning as well: not only money, but losing believe in the good is what you pay.

GoanCanuck

Very sorry to learn that you were cheated by these con men. Yes you should report this matter to the police because you have the name and pictures of these nasty people.

Please post some detailed names and pictures of these individuals who cheated you. At least if nothing else somebody else maybe saved from being cheated in the future.

If you want to follow up this case at a higher level with the authorities then I can assist you but you will have to go to Goa and give a written statement. I can get you you a decent lawyer or you can hire someone you feel comfortable with.

An English woman was also cheated by a guy in Goa but she is fighting back http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1170518

zoltan

This has got to be one of the highest amounts that I've ever heard of.

If I were in your position and because you have the photos of the people involved in the scam, I'd be sending a letter to the district police commissioners office along with photocopies of any paperwork and ask them to investigate.

Do keep us involved of any updates that do occur if you send the letter to the police.

And, for those who have not yet been caught up in these sorts of scams, if you believe it's too good to be true, then it probably is... go with your gut instinct and back out - better to cause some minor insult to hospitality than fall prey to any one of the many scams that are tried in India.

Cheers
Zoltan

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wonderwomanusa

30,000 Euros? Yes, since you do have photos and someone's name and address, I think you definitely should report this to the police in Palolim and Mumbai.

edwardseco

I can sympathize with the extent of the loss. I think it is the highest in this well known scam I have come across. This scam is in all the guidebooks. None the less, you participated in an illegal activity and discovered an old truism about honor.

Still, look at this way, this amount of monetary loss you will recover from. The embarrasment will ease over time and you may be wiser for it. Think of what might have happened if you had gone another route and become a drug "mule". Don't want to think of the penalties that have befallen people caught up that seriously. People get caught up in their greed and gullibility all the time. I have one cousin who embezzled to pay money to push her film script. She had to flee the state and get a job in a bank in California. Another did the same thing to finance gambling and but for an understanding with the prosecuter faced a nasty prison term. Your mess sounds like a mix of the old, old gem scam and the Nigerian 411. In the latter people have lost hundreds of thousands and have been jailed or killed. That one in total runs perhaps 2 billion US/year. You had a much less disasterous walk on the wild side of crime. Learn the life lessons well and you will get on with life. We can all sympathize with your loss and I am sure, sincerely wish you well..

IchNurIch

GoanCanuck,

is there any way I can contact you apart from this forum? My email is iwishicouldfly@gmx.net

Ali called me again, this morning, trying to find out where I got the information from and telling me that everything was a lie and that they are still in Delhi clearing my name. I told him I am appealing to his good heart and take the chance to at least tell me the truth - he hung up the phone right at that moment.

What makes me nervous is, that i do not have any name of the place where the shop was where the parcel was packed and where we stayed the first nights. I do not have the name of the place the apartment was but it is exactly the apartment described in the linked post. I know what the place looked like and i remember it was something starting with "A" in the north and it was bigger, about 45 minutes travel from the airport. Something with Anpap or so. We went to the hill top party as far as i can remember and that took us about 20 minutes to get there.

Yes, I want to fight if I can. If there is a chance stopping just one of them I want to take it. I am financially ruined now, thats another thing. Hearing that this is the highest amount ever heard of makes me even more angry on myself and them and willing to fight. I am trying to reconstruct everything, collect every information I have got. Find people in the internet that made the same experience.

My god, a lesson for life I have seriuosly paid for. Makes no sens to keep asking, why I have been so foolish, i can't make it undone, but maybe for others..

GoanCanuck

Made a note of your email address and I shall you contact you shortly. From your description it sounds like a place in the Calangute-Baga area. Goa is a small place and it is not difficult to find out who is where.

IchNurIch

The other were scammed also wrote the appartment was in Calangute...

Thank you, i am waiting for your Email. Thank you very, very much!

IchNurIch

I wanted to thank the ones that have replied. For the honest words without pillorying me. This was one intention for writing. I have seen several post blaming these people using unfriendly words.. No one, who hasn't been in this situation, can judge. Yes, the money is always part of the doing, but its far more than that.
But believe me, once you have done this you do feel bad and every single person has to pay for what he's done. But blaming people, making fun of them, makes no sense, it will just keep them from writing. But people HAVE to write what happened to them, to make other people aware, give names, places. I have struggled a long time with myself whether to post or not and finally did it, because I know I made a mistake and even when being unfriendly blamed, I can at least warn other people.

Mod note: This part of the post edited out on IchNurIch's request after thread was closed


I hope I could at least give some good descriptions. Pictures will follow.

capt_mahajan

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