A TV show or movie appears to be documenting a sting operation to catch apartment scammers. The host, likely a journalist or investigator, has been in contact with a scammer offering a luxurious studio apartment for rent at a suspiciously low price of 3,500 hryvnia (approximately $130 USD). The host agrees to meet the scammer's driver, Valery Mikhailovich, who takes them to a post office to pick up laptops, supposedly a condition for viewing the apartment.
During the ride, the driver asks the host to pay 1,615 hryvnia (approximately $60 USD) for the laptops' delivery, claiming it's a new mail policy. The host pays, but the driver then claims the payment is short by 10 hryvnia (approximately $0.40 USD), and they need to resolve the issue.
The host becomes suspicious and starts to investigate further. They discover that the driver is not who he claims to be, and the laptops are likely a ruse. The host then confronts the driver, who becomes aggressive and tries to flee with the host's money.
The host and their team eventually recover the stolen money, which had been hidden in the car. The episode concludes with the host offering advice to viewers on how to avoid falling victim to similar scams, including not carrying large amounts of cash and being cautious when dealing with suspicious individuals.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator was responding to an advertisement for a luxurious studio apartment for rent.
2. The apartment was advertised as being available for 3,500 hryvnia, which is below the average market price.
3. The narrator was contacted by a person claiming to be the owner of the apartment, who asked them to meet at a post office to pick up a parcel.
4. The owner claimed that the parcel contained laptops that needed to be paid for via a mobile payment service.
5. The narrator was asked to pay 1,615 hryvnia for the laptops, which they did.
6. The owner then claimed that the parcel had been frozen due to non-payment of delivery and asked the narrator to pay an additional 10 hryvnia.
7. The narrator met with a driver, who was supposed to take them to the apartment, but instead took them on a detour to a different location.
8. The driver claimed that he had left his phone in the car and asked the narrator to look for it.
9. The narrator found the phone, but the driver claimed that it was not his and that he had been searching for a different phone.
10. The narrator became suspicious and decided to investigate further.
11. The narrator discovered that the driver was an accomplice of the owner and that the whole thing was a scam.
12. The narrator managed to recover their money, which had been hidden in the car.
13. The narrator advises others not to take cash with them when viewing apartments and to be cautious of scams.