In China, a woman’s cell phone was stolen. She called her own number and when the thief answered, she identified herself as a friend of the woman who owned the phone. He said he was also a friend of the woman’s, which explained why he was using her phone. Pretending to believe him, the woman struck up a friendship. They spoke on the phone several times before she suggested they meet in person. Of course it was a police officer who actually kept the date.
Another Chinese cell phone story: A shopkeeper leaves her cell phone on the counter, and a customer grabs it, hides it in her bra, and heads for the door. Of course the shopkeeper’s husband chose that moment to call her.
(“Excuse me, ma’am, I think your bra’s ringing”
“That’s okay, I’ll let it go to voicemail”)
And in Rio de Janeiro, Anderlei Moreira da Silva was a victim of his own “cleverness”: He stole a car and cell phone at gunpoint. His victim called the cell phone number and negotiated for the return of his car. They agreed on the Brazilian equivalent of $345. But Moreira da Silva wasn’t stupid enough to fall for the “let’s arrange a meeting so a police officer can show up and arrest me” trick, so he demanded instead… that the money be deposited into his bank account.
