A group of scammers, posing as a family with children, posted multiple online ads for a high-end tablet at a significantly discounted price. The ads had different contact numbers and names, but all led to the same woman, Irina. An investigator, posing as a buyer, met Irina at an apartment and was shown the tablet, which was in perfect condition. As the transaction progressed, the investigator was distracted by Irina's behavior and the atmosphere she created, making him less suspicious. However, he eventually discovered that Irina was a scammer who used various tactics to deceive him, including having an accomplice who would call her to create a diversion. The scam ultimately involved Irina stealing the investigator's money while pretending to transfer photos to his laptop. The group's scam was exposed through the use of hidden cameras and investigative work.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator was investigating a scam involving the sale of an expensive tablet.
2. The scammer, Irina, posted three identical advertisements for the sale of the tablet with different phone numbers and names of sellers.
3. The narrator called the three sellers, and the same girl (Irina) answered each time.
4. The narrator agreed to meet Irina at her apartment to buy the tablet.
5. The narrator brought 9,000 hryvnia to pay for the tablet.
6. The narrator installed hidden cameras in the entrance and apartment.
7. Irina showed the narrator a new tablet and claimed she was selling it because her son no longer needed it.
8. The narrator asked Irina to transfer photos from the tablet to a laptop, and Irina agreed.
9. While Irina was transferring the photos, she received a call from her "husband" and went to the kitchen.
10. The narrator noticed that Irina's "husband" made a call, hung up, and immediately called back, which was a classic sign of a scam.
11. Irina took the money from the narrator and threw the photos in the kitchen.
12. The narrator later discovered that Irina was a scammer who had rented the apartment for 500 hryvnia per day and brewed coffee for 80 hryvnia.
13. Irina made 9,000 hryvnia from the scam in just a few minutes.
Note: The text also includes a lengthy explanation of a magic trick involving a glass, jug, and napkin, but this appears to be unrelated to the scam investigation.