A Bahrain-based British businessman has warned shoppers after falling victim to a scam in the Al Osra supermarket car park in Budaiya.
A well-dressed Italian man in a smart four-wheel drive vehicle pulled up and asked him for directions to the airport.
“He claimed he was a designer and had been opening a shop in The Avenues,” the businessman said.
“He then offered him a Giorgio Armani suit.
“The man was hugely plausible, and claimed he had many suits left over, but would be charged import duty on them at the airport.
“Suits like this made of Merino wool normally cost a fortune, but his were counterfeit as I later discovered.”
It turned out that people have been conned by similar scams in Dubai and Oman.
“They are obviously now operating in Bahrain,” said the victim, who was too embarrassed to be identified.
He was persuaded to withdraw money from the ATM at Al Osra supermarket car park, but luckily his card was rejected.
“So, I foolishly handed over all the cash in my wallet, which amounted to about BD35.”
The businessman later discovered on the Internet that this cut-price Armani suits con had been pulled successfully in other Gulf countries.
He urged people to say “ciao arrivederci” if approached, and report to the police.
Similar attempts to con people have been reported in Dubai, Oman and Qatar over the past few months.
The scam is usually aimed at men who are approached by a well-dressed gentleman either in a car park of by the side of the road, claiming to be on his way to the airport from an exhibition of Italian designer suits.
He’ll be looking to unload the excess stock at a highly discounted price but the suits are usually knock-offs or fake.
In one case in Dubai, the victim took to the Internet to speak about his ordeal.
Ordeal
The businessman was approached while walking on Shaikh Zayed Road by an Italian man in a grey SUV, identified himself as Gianni Francesco and asked directions to the airport.
“He claimed to be working for Armani and said he had an abundance of suits he did not want to return to Italy with,” said the victim.
“He gave me three suits free of charge but asked for money to buy his wife a gift.”
The victim gave him around 650 Emirati dirhams, convinced by his personality and genuine business card.
A similar case was also reported in Abu Dhabi where a man speaking with an Italian accent and driving a gleaming BMX X5 claimed to have leftover designer suits after a garment exhibition.
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