My encounter with a Con Artist. [1007.1999]

I had a run-in with a con artist a year or so ago:

I'm walking through the mall, minding my own business, when this girl comes up to me and says something about how cute I am (no eye contact or anything, she just appears next to me and starts talking). She says something about how she's in a program to help her overcome her shyness, and she's supposed to meet total strangers and ask them questions.

Okay. I *know* this is a bad situation. Warning sirens are going off, but.. Well, she's pretty cute. Somehow I sit down when she tells me that the "program" says *I* have to sit down.

She starts showing me pictures of Europe. This is where she's going to go if she sells the most magazines. (It happens so fast that the "shyness program" has completely slipped my mind). She's going to be the winner, because she's already in the lead and she's so friendly and all that.. (This is what she's telling me.)

Now all this time, she's doing a bangup job with rapport. Tapping me on my arm. Being flirty. At one point I mention that I feel I should ask her out. (????!!!) She seems to light up with that idea, but quickly moves on.

For some reason, I'm actually looking at the magazine list, and thinking about which ones I could buy.. (Ones? For some reason, I'm supposed to buy three. Maybe I get something free. I don't remember. But it's pretty much an all or nothing deal, at least in my mind..) Well, there's Success, and Wired, and Fast Company...

She starts asking personal questions. What do I do for a living? Oh, well then I'd want all these computer magazines. "But I don't read computer magazines".. Well, what about girls? I like girls, don't I? How about Playboy or Penthouse? Ooooh.

Now I'm starting to wake up. This girl doesn't know anything about me, or she wouldn't be offering to sell me this stuff I don't want. Especially when I'm trying to look at the stuff I actually might want.

The more she talks, the less interested I am in having anything to do with her. I mention, I'm really not interested. "What's stopping you?" (you're a con artist, that's what!) Uh. I don't have any money on me. She smiles. "Let me see your wallet" (Bitch!) I'm not going to let you see my wallet. "Well, you don't have to pay me today anyway." (I don't have to pay you at ALL, lady) Look, I'm sorry, I'm just not interested.

This whole situation has taken up a good ten minutes. Now I'm just trying to get out of there without buying anything from her. I absolutely do not like this woman, and I'm starting to drop the whole social niceity thing. She lays on the guilt trip. "You've been taking up all this time. I could be selling to someone else.." Well, I guess I'm a real bastard, huh? "Oh, I don't mean that. I'm sure you're a nice guy.."

More back and forth. Finally I say "Look, I'm just not interested in this. I'm going away. Goodbye." She says, "Oh yeah? Well let me tell you something. Next time someone comes up to you and starts a conversation like this, say I'm sorry, I'm just not interested? You don't have to take up so much time and be such a bastard."

I didn't feel like getting into an argument about whether such lines would have had any effect on her, so I stormed off, feeling guilty and pissed off. I think I drove around for half an hour thinking of nasty things to say to her, finally decided she was just a con artist, probably conning someone else at this very moment. At least maybe I shook her up a bit. But then again, maybe her getting angry at me was just another tactic to get me to buy.

Oh well. It didn't feel so good, but at least I won.

Originally posted to the mindlist, in a thread about Cons.