As Golpistas

Cuandon had a good Saturday. He told me he’d run the airport scam twice, each time picking up the tourists by yelling the name of a hotel from the van window, then taking them up to the mountain shack until they paid the ransom which he calls a “travel fee.”

I was down in the Federal District learning a new golpista, the fake arrest.

Cuandon sat back with his beer while I explained it, smiling  and shaking his head once in a while in amazement.

“It’s as easy as that?”

“Seems to be,” I said. “They are so afraid of police they will give up their personal information without hesitation. Bribes, too. All we need are the uniforms, which I can get for ten percent off the top. You won’t even need to shave your mustache.”

“Why are they so weak, do you think?”

“They aren’t weak, Cuandon. Just afraid.”

 

What Pegman Saw: Brasilia

 

7 comments

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  1. Lynn Love

    Afraid of the real cops, no doubt, as well as they hoods pretending to be cops! A sad way to live your life, taking advantage of others, but a real way of life for many. Very accomplished tale, Josh

  2. Joy Pixley

    Sadly realistic. There will always be someone trying to scam the unwitting, but when there are fewer other good opportunities for honest work and less chance of getting caught, there will be even more of them. Makes a good argument for not choosing this as a tourist destination…

Don't just stand there.