Publications
Partners
Shocked! That's how a Hooters customer felt after he loaned a tearful couple his BMW 7 Series and, after eight days, realised it wasn't coming back.
Here's how it went down for the duped driver...
The sucker, according to reports in US media, was dining at his favourite Hooters restaurant in Fairfax City, Virginia on June 17 when a couple came in to ask for directions and armed with a sob story about their car going bang en route to a wedding.
GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED
Their - as it turned out, tall - tale really tugged his heart strings so he offered his grey BMW 7 Series. He told them they could borrow it for the night and leave it back in the Hooters car park the following day.
The about-to-be-very-happy couple gratefully accepted the offer and drove away to their "wedding" - yet had the cheek to pop back briefly to ask how to open the fuel lid. And that was that for them - and the R68 000 car.
The next day the Mr BMW returned to the same Hooters (any excuse!) asking around for his car – but nobody had seen it. He checked at other nearby Hooters branches; not there either. He finally realised he’d been scammed.
The lucky couple even got a bonus; Mr BMW owner had left an engagement ring and laptop in the car.
After the Biblical eight days of fruitless searching the 46-year-old flagged down a police car and reported the theft.
Fairfax City Police Sergeant Joe Johnson wasn't very sympathetic: “I’ve heard of people using a scam to get money, but nobody's ever said 'Here’s my car, take it'. That’s a wild one."
Generous or stupid? This man needs to learn the difference. Comments, anybody?
Here's how it went down for the duped driver...
The sucker, according to reports in US media, was dining at his favourite Hooters restaurant in Fairfax City, Virginia on June 17 when a couple came in to ask for directions and armed with a sob story about their car going bang en route to a wedding.
GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED
Their - as it turned out, tall - tale really tugged his heart strings so he offered his grey BMW 7 Series. He told them they could borrow it for the night and leave it back in the Hooters car park the following day.
The about-to-be-very-happy couple gratefully accepted the offer and drove away to their "wedding" - yet had the cheek to pop back briefly to ask how to open the fuel lid. And that was that for them - and the R68 000 car.
The next day the Mr BMW returned to the same Hooters (any excuse!) asking around for his car – but nobody had seen it. He checked at other nearby Hooters branches; not there either. He finally realised he’d been scammed.
The lucky couple even got a bonus; Mr BMW owner had left an engagement ring and laptop in the car.
After the Biblical eight days of fruitless searching the 46-year-old flagged down a police car and reported the theft.
Fairfax City Police Sergeant Joe Johnson wasn't very sympathetic: “I’ve heard of people using a scam to get money, but nobody's ever said 'Here’s my car, take it'. That’s a wild one."
Generous or stupid? This man needs to learn the difference. Comments, anybody?
