The family of a 14-year-old girl, who was tricked into what she thought was a game of treasure hunt for an iPhone but instead ended up handing over her family’s jewellery to thieves, is grateful that she is alive and not hurt.
However, the incident has left the teenager very traumatised and the family has lost over $200,000 in jewellery. The family is warning parents to ensure that their at home-alone children are not sucked in by conmen and women who are using mobile phones to ply their trade.
It all started when the grandmother of the teen, who lives in a house in front of the family’s, received a call from someone purporting to be calling from the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) and who informed that the company had an ongoing game and winners would be given iPhones. The caller then enquired if the woman had younger relatives between the ages of 13 and 15. She informed she had a 14-year-old granddaughter and proceeded to call for the child.
The phone was then handed over to the child and a woman told her about the game and proceeded to ask her five questions, which included providing the names of her parents and their places of employment and asking if the information provided was correct. After the child answered in the affirmative, a man came on the line and told the child not to be afraid since GTT had a treasure hunt competition and she was chosen to win an iPhone if she completed the tasks assigned.
The tasks included taking all her family’s jewellery and money and putting same into a black plastic bag. The child was instructed to climb into her parents’ room, after she informed the man that it was locked, and to search for all the valuables. She did as was she was told. She was then informed to cross the road to the seawall close by with the black plastic bag.
“They told her when she bring the bag, she will get the phone and so she crossed the road while still talking to them on the phone but the spot where she went had people so they told her to go to another spot…,” this newspaper was told by one of the parents.
Even as she ran out, her grandmother was calling for her to return to the yard but the man on the phone told her to keep running since it was a treasure hunt.
She then saw a white car with no number plates. The driver’s side window was wound down and a man wearing sunglasses told her to hand over the bag.
“He told her the bag would be returned by her parents and that when the phone rings again say ‘GTT go get your treasure.’ He then drove away and is then she realised something bad happened…,” the parent said.
By that time, her grandmother had contacted both parents and the teenager was found in a flood of tears. The police were contacted and they visited the family’s home and took a statement. The call came from a private number but the police promised to investigate.
“It was very scary because anything could have happened to her. We are just thankful that she is okay but we want other parents and children to be aware of these people…,” one of the parents said.
