Thier still at it.....another jewellery scam!

crystal · Apr 23rd, 2007, 09:13

Aaahh!!Ive been scamed!
Wow,what an opperation,these guys are good!It hadn't struck me that I had been scamed until being home for 3 weeks,yes I know ,very gulable!After reserching on this site it has become clearer,yet,this opperation seems a little different from other.I will summerise my expeirience in Jaipur,Rajisthan for future travellers and in hope of your team at IndiaMike shedding some light on my situation.
Here goes........
.Greeted by young friendly Indian guy at guesthouse Bani Park Jaipur.
.Invited me to join his friends to see some live music,they took me to a nightclub "ANGARA"(that should have alarmed me that he was a lier!)
.I was introduced to his other friends.They told me about the families jewellery business and how they export precious gem gold jewellery around the world.
.I was invited to breakfast at one of their "jewellery showroom" in the middle of nowhere in Bani Park.
.They then introduced me to their "business" showing thousands of documents of tourist who have helped them bring their jewellery into other countries avoiding India's govenment taxes.
.Documents included photocopies of passport,tourist visa,credit cards and drivers licence as well as a hand written invoice of the goods to be sent,followed by a note written by the tourist stating that the goods have been purchased as gifts and souveniers using their credit cards.
.Jewellery was packed up and I was taken somewhere to send it.Package was addressed to myself at the GPO of my home city.But of course it did not go thier.
.I was told that my credit card would not be swiped,I would recieve $15,000 when I passed package onto thier representitive in my home city,they would provide a return flight after minimum of 3 days of flying home,they would provide 3 days of accomadation in my home city and I would be staying at a nice hotel in Jaipur until all the paper work was in order and ready for me to fly.
.What actually happen was that my credit card was swiped ( $15,000)and my own airline ticket was used so that it would not raise suspision at indian customs,yeah right!!
.I was put into a nice hotel(Nirbana palace)where I only had privacy to sleep for 3 days.The rest of the time I was under supervision.
.I had to purchase Indian non-judicial stamp paper and some other official document to go along with my papers.
.Other invoices where typed up stating that I was purchasing jewellery,all of these I sighned(so stupid!)
.After arriving home I was keeping in contact with the "general manager" of the company so that I could collect the package and hand it over.
.Weeks pass and then he tells me that Im in trouble with Indian customs and they want to talk to me and my file is in an inquiry.
.He told me that I can send $2,200 by Western Union to an official at the police department and my file can be reliesed.I did NOT send the money,thank God!!

Something tells me this might be a legitimate jewellery business due to all the documents I sighned and that they are using my tourist visa to move their jewellery and legally scam the tourist or they are really covering themselves so that I cant go after them and bust their sweet opperation.
Can I really be in trouble in India?Is there any way of finding out?These people were very aware of how much I love India and how I really wanted to return and still do.I still have 3 months left on my visa and I want to return,is it safe for me to enter on the same tourist visa?Is it their way of scaring me away?Is it worth my while of informing the police of what is going on if I can return?
Thanks for your time

old india hand · Apr 23rd, 2007, 09:34

How much have you lost?

capt_mahajan · Apr 23rd, 2007, 09:44

Crystal, I am kind of confused about the details of this scam so won't comment on it, but you will find reactions to such scams in threads in the same forum.

About reporting to the police if you return.... yes, in my non expert opinion provided you seek legal advice first as to how much your culpability may be.

And, the same legal advice will tell you how long drawn the process can be, and how inconvenient.

old india hand · Apr 23rd, 2007, 10:34

It's possible that Crystal is trolling:

If it were $1500 just write it off, but for $15000 return to Jaipur find the most senior cop you can and enter into negotiations to recover at least some of what has been taken.

Or go to your local bank and have the $15000 recovered as the transaction of goods has not transpired - it was on a credit card!?

crystal · Apr 23rd, 2007, 11:02

Yes it was on my credit card.But would I actually have any legal grounds when I have signed documents\invoices saying Ive received the goods?This situation is such a mess,im not even sure what ive signed!
I will be returning to India.
As much as I want to let it all go I feel I need to try and do something about this.Do you think i'll be ok entering through customs?
Thanks for your advise

machadinha · Apr 23rd, 2007, 11:20

I'd first go to your own local police to discuss the matter. And contact your CC company.

They might also be able to advise you on any possible legal consequences for returning to India. I'd be surprised if there were any, but who knows. Your Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Indian embassy could also help here. Contact the airline company for that matter about what happened to that ticket.

Finally, be happy they didn't send you a shipment of opium. And don't do it again.

kidsan · Apr 23rd, 2007, 15:19

yes, this is a slightly different take and i hope that things work out ok for you crystal but for goodness sake, getting involved with any sort of gem 'export' business in jaipur is just asking for trouble. Surely everyone has seen the warnings.

I know that these guys are good. When i was in jaipur, i met some very friendly guys who very cleverly got in with me and my friend but as soon as i heard they were in the gem business i heard the alarm bells and walked away.

Oh well, it's good to get these warnings occasionally in the hope that new-comers will see them and take note.

SteamBuff · Apr 23rd, 2007, 15:33

A lot of credit card companies will not accept claims where the transaction is carried out in a different country or where the 'seller' is in a different country.

Check your card's t&c's!!!!

girlone · Apr 23rd, 2007, 15:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by crystal

Something tells me this might be a legitimate jewellery business due to all the documents I sighned

What?!!!

If I were you, I'd go home and look up the word 'gullible' in the dictionary. And try not to be it next time you travel.

Amazes me when people think they can make a quick buck without consequences. There's no such thing as a free lunch!!!!

G1

Jamie11 · Apr 23rd, 2007, 16:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by girlone

What?!!!

If I were you, I'd go home and look up the word 'gullible' in the dictionary. And try not to be it next time you travel.

G1

do you know that the word gullible isnt actually in the English dictionary

nomad · Apr 23rd, 2007, 16:14

well,
people dp make lot of easy money. that explaines lot of people disappearing in kullu valley. lot of exportes of handicraft, jewellary use tourists for their duty free export.

but all the murky businesses usually have murkier side also. so some people do to evade tax, and some people do it just to dupe people.

Quote:

Something tells me this might be a legitimate jewellery business due to all the documents I sighned

did you mean legitimate illegal business??

SteamBuff · Apr 23rd, 2007, 16:14

Jamie11 :- Sorry, but it IS in both my Collins and Oxford English Dictionaries.

Jamie11 · Apr 23rd, 2007, 16:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteamBuff

Jamie11 :- Sorry, but it IS in both my Collins and Oxford English Dictionaries.

ha ha, you fell for it.

Gullible!

Sorry,

girlone · Apr 23rd, 2007, 16:44

Lol steambuff, you walked right into that one!

Jamie, an oldie but a goodie!

G1

invidious · Apr 23rd, 2007, 17:06

You must contact the cops ASAP. I would rather recommend that you contact one of the news agencies first.

Apr 23rd, 2007, 09:13	#1
crystal crystal Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: australia Posts: 4	Thier still at it.....another jewellery scam! Aaahh!!Ive been scamed! Wow,what an opperation,these guys are good!It hadn't struck me that I had been scamed until being home for 3 weeks,yes I know ,very gulable!After reserching on this site it has become clearer,yet,this opperation seems a little different from other.I will summerise my expeirience in Jaipur,Rajisthan for future travellers and in hope of your team at IndiaMike shedding some light on my situation. Here goes........ .Greeted by young friendly Indian guy at guesthouse Bani Park Jaipur. .Invited me to join his friends to see some live music,they took me to a nightclub "ANGARA"(that should have alarmed me that he was a lier!) .I was introduced to his other friends.They told me about the families jewellery business and how they export precious gem gold jewellery around the world. .I was invited to breakfast at one of their "jewellery showroom" in the middle of nowhere in Bani Park. .They then introduced me to their "business" showing thousands of documents of tourist who have helped them bring their jewellery into other countries avoiding India's govenment taxes. .Documents included photocopies of passport,tourist visa,credit cards and drivers licence as well as a hand written invoice of the goods to be sent,followed by a note written by the tourist stating that the goods have been purchased as gifts and souveniers using their credit cards. .Jewellery was packed up and I was taken somewhere to send it.Package was addressed to myself at the GPO of my home city.But of course it did not go thier. .I was told that my credit card would not be swiped,I would recieve $15,000 when I passed package onto thier representitive in my home city,they would provide a return flight after minimum of 3 days of flying home,they would provide 3 days of accomadation in my home city and I would be staying at a nice hotel in Jaipur until all the paper work was in order and ready for me to fly. .What actually happen was that my credit card was swiped ( $15,000)and my own airline ticket was used so that it would not raise suspision at indian customs,yeah right!! .I was put into a nice hotel(Nirbana palace)where I only had privacy to sleep for 3 days.The rest of the time I was under supervision. .I had to purchase Indian non-judicial stamp paper and some other official document to go along with my papers. .Other invoices where typed up stating that I was purchasing jewellery,all of these I sighned(so stupid!) .After arriving home I was keeping in contact with the "general manager" of the company so that I could collect the package and hand it over. .Weeks pass and then he tells me that Im in trouble with Indian customs and they want to talk to me and my file is in an inquiry. .He told me that I can send $2,200 by Western Union to an official at the police department and my file can be reliesed.I did NOT send the money,thank God!! Something tells me this might be a legitimate jewellery business due to all the documents I sighned and that they are using my tourist visa to move their jewellery and legally scam the tourist or they are really covering themselves so that I cant go after them and bust their sweet opperation. Can I really be in trouble in India?Is there any way of finding out?These people were very aware of how much I love India and how I really wanted to return and still do.I still have 3 months left on my visa and I want to return,is it safe for me to enter on the same tourist visa?Is it their way of scaring me away?Is it worth my while of informing the police of what is going on if I can return? Thanks for your time

Apr 23rd, 2007, 09:44	#3
capt_mahajan (in charge of navel affairs) Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 10,105	Crystal, I am kind of confused about the details of this scam so won't comment on it, but you will find reactions to such scams in threads in the same forum. About reporting to the police if you return.... yes, in my non expert opinion provided you seek legal advice first as to how much your culpability may be. And, the same legal advice will tell you how long drawn the process can be, and how inconvenient. Last edited by capt_mahajan : Apr 23rd, 2007 at 11:23. Reason: spelling

Apr 23rd, 2007, 11:02	#5
crystal crystal Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: australia Posts: 4	Yes it was on my credit card.But would I actually have any legal grounds when I have signed documents\invoices saying Ive received the goods?This situation is such a mess,im not even sure what ive signed! I will be returning to India. As much as I want to let it all go I feel I need to try and do something about this.Do you think i'll be ok entering through customs? Thanks for your advise Last edited by machadinha : Apr 23rd, 2007 at 11:16. Reason: removed full quote

Apr 23rd, 2007, 11:20	#6
machadinha Not Your Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 10,571	I'd first go to your own local police to discuss the matter. And contact your CC company. They might also be able to advise you on any possible legal consequences for returning to India. I'd be surprised if there were any, but who knows. Your Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Indian embassy could also help here. Contact the airline company for that matter about what happened to that ticket. Finally, be happy they didn't send you a shipment of opium. And don't do it again. __________________ Reading tips, all picked up at IndiaMike : INDAX's A Comprehensive Guide To India / Dinoj Surendran's Desi Humor / ITHVC on Culture Shock & Travel Health / JetLag Travel Guides For the Undiscerning Traveller / India Travel Links

Apr 23rd, 2007, 17:06	#15
invidious Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bombay Posts: 121	You must contact the cops ASAP. I would rather recommend that you contact one of the news agencies first. Last edited by invidious : Apr 24th, 2007 at 01:02.

Apr 23rd, 2007, 09:34	#2
old india hand Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Australia Posts: 104	How much have you lost?

Apr 23rd, 2007, 10:34	#4
old india hand Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Australia Posts: 104	It's possible that Crystal is trolling: If it were $1500 just write it off, but for $15000 return to Jaipur find the most senior cop you can and enter into negotiations to recover at least some of what has been taken. Or go to your local bank and have the $15000 recovered as the transaction of goods has not transpired - it was on a credit card!?

Apr 23rd, 2007, 15:19	#7
kidsan Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: heading for Mauritania... Posts: 689	yes, this is a slightly different take and i hope that things work out ok for you crystal but for goodness sake, getting involved with any sort of gem 'export' business in jaipur is just asking for trouble. Surely everyone has seen the warnings. I know that these guys are good. When i was in jaipur, i met some very friendly guys who very cleverly got in with me and my friend but as soon as i heard they were in the gem business i heard the alarm bells and walked away. Oh well, it's good to get these warnings occasionally in the hope that new-comers will see them and take note.

Apr 23rd, 2007, 15:33	#8
SteamBuff Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Essex, Endland Posts: 370	A lot of credit card companies will not accept claims where the transaction is carried out in a different country or where the 'seller' is in a different country. Check your card's t&c's!!!!

Apr 23rd, 2007, 16:14	#12
SteamBuff Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Essex, Endland Posts: 370	Jamie11 :- Sorry, but it IS in both my Collins and Oxford English Dictionaries.

Apr 23rd, 2007, 16:44	#14
girlone Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: UK Posts: 125	Lol steambuff, you walked right into that one! Jamie, an oldie but a goodie! G1

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