Sarah Bowles, a 28-year-old from Surrey ended up being duped by a particularly sophisticated gem scam last month. This occurred while she was in India on what she described as the trip of a lifetime. Building on the experiences of a friend and many other travelers across the country, Sarah found herself taking her first solo trip to Goa. There, she encountered a predatory lending scenario that led her to ultimately lose her life’s savings.
Our story starts when Sarah, venturing out into a local bazaar, was accosted by two Indian men. They initiated a conversation with her, asking her a seemingly innocuous question: “How is your life?” In real life, this relaxed exchange led in short order to a marriage proposal that would alter Sarah’s life forever.
The men proposed that Sarah help them ship the gems overseas, through the use of her duty-free allowance of £10,000. In return for her assistance, they agreed to pay her £4,000. Sarah had her heart set on hanging out with the locals. She hoped to demonstrate that not all Westerners are standoffish, so she … On the second day, at 8 a.m.
The following day, Sarah was flown by private jet to a five-star villa in Goa. During her trip, the men traveled with her every step of the way, restricting her access to local people. Once inside the apartment, Sarah was met with a different request. She had to fill a box with diamonds and ship it overseas to her own name.
To sweeten the pot, the men described luring her with a complimentary trip to Australia. They given her €500 to pay for a hotel when she first arrived in Berlin. While she initially felt uneasy about the situation, she later reflected on the experience:
“Right from the start alarm bells were ringing, but looking back on it they were very careful not to give me any time alone or with other travellers.” – Sarah Bowles
Even though the boldness of the plan made her nervous, Sarah pushed forward anyway. What they thought would be a random, fun chance turned into a total disaster. But when the transaction was finally completed, she found that in moving the money, she had actually lost £6,500—her entire life savings.
When she turned to Lloyds Bank to express concern for her staggering financial loss, she was further disbelieved. A representative from the bank posed a pointed question:
“What did you expect to happen?” – Lloyds’s complex fraud department
In response to Sarah’s plight, a spokeswoman for Lloyds emphasized their commitment to safeguarding customers:
“We have sophisticated fraud detection systems in place to protect our customers. However in relation to this case, as the customer authorised the transaction we were unable to help on this occasion.” – A Lloyds spokeswoman
The experience has left Sarah grappling with feelings of betrayal and confusion. She had a goal of being friendly and open wherever she traveled. Now, she says, her good intentions have put her out of business. Though the two men who scammed her are still at large, Sarah’s experience should be a warning to travelers around the world.