IT SEEMS SCAM ARTISTS ARE GETTING younger and are victimizing people their age.

The son of my cousin, a freshman student at the University of Santo Tomas, was approached recently by somebody who introduced himself as a student of the University of the Philippines. The stranger told my nephew he wanted to interview him for a study he was doing. The incident happened at a Jollibee outlet near UST.

My nephew was clutching his bag containing his cellular phone, the iPod shuffle I gave him two Christmases ago (I?m his ninang) and some cash (thank heavens he did not bring his laptop, which is small enough to lug around).

The ?UP student? very solicitously asked him to put his bag on the table so they could chat comfortably. No sooner had he put his bag on the table, than it disappeared with everything in it.

The ?UP researcher,? of course, had also made himself scarce.

As I told my nephew, ?The very first thing you should have asked yourself is: ?Why me? Why would this person want to interview me??? Although he did not tell me what the interview was all about, still, with the thousands of students at UST, I said he should have asked himself why he was singled out.

Strings attached

I might sound very cynical and without a shred of pride in my young relative, unable to believe anyone would be interested in his opinion. But years in journalism tell me anything that comes out of the blue should be held suspect. There often are large strings attached to it.

I am writing about this incident so parents can warn their children about these scam artists now victimizing young people. Fortunately, my nephew emerged unscathed from the experience, except for a bruised ego (the bigger blow probably coming from his ninang) and the loss of some prized possessions like his iPod. I think?hope, really?it will also make him more wary of strangers bearing ?good news? or ?gifts.?

Some people might say, ?Kids make easy targets. They?re very trusting.? But flattery it seems (my nephew was understandably honored that somebody valued his opinion) will still get you anywhere even in this age when there seems to be more skepticism and cynicism. A woman, who is more than old enough to know better, was in her favorite beauty salon having her nails done when she espied a good-looking young man eyeing her and showing a great deal of interest.

The mother of two grown children was flattered naturally and would coyly steal glances every now and then. Every time she looked, he was looking right back. As she waited for the polish to dry, she dozed off. The salon attendant took advantage of the opportunity to stand up and do something else. When my friend woke up from her nap, her bag was gone and so was the good-looking man.

She found out later, he was in the salon for the first time for a haircut. Nobody even noticed when he left. He was there one moment and was gone the next.

So watch out ladies?and gentlemen, as I?m sure it happens to them, too. That person who seems to be looking at you with a great deal of interest may actually have his/her sights on your purse or wallet and is just waiting for the opportunity to pounce.

Unfulfilled wish

The previous columns on taxis reminded commuters of some of their unfulfilled wishes?having meters placed somewhere where they can be easily and readily read, instead of being at the foot of the driver, behind the stick shift, requiring some fancy and bone-crushing contortions to read; and having drivers? identification cards also prominently displayed to allow passengers to match the photograph with the face of the person behind the wheel and to see his name.

Some new units already have the meters mounted almost on the dashboard, or at least in some place where they are easy to see and read so passengers do not risk breaking their necks to find out what the fare is.

We hope the prominently displayed IDs will soon follow.

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