Scam in MARACAJAÚ!!!! - Page 2

#11 05-04-2008, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golfingworld

Well the more I get to know Brazil and the more I learn about it it is a country of scallywags and vagabonds....difficult to generalise I know but I have been a bout a bit and thought I was pretty street wise, but I have learned more visiting Brazil in the last 15 months than all my years of travelling and overseas business. Now nothing ceases to surpise me when i am there, only recently I was ripped off for $R20 of petrol which wasn't properly filled in my car! I just start to wonder about a country where you just cannot relax because every time you drop your guard someone scams you or robs you. I guess I am in for te long haul now but I can't see it getting any better whilst a lot of the culture seems to be"gimme gimme gimme" everytime they see a Gringo.

Unfortunately this post is viable. Brazil (I think), is the worst among all others in Latin America. They have scamming down to a science and they will lie to your face while stabbing you in the f-cking back. Every time I take off from MIA, my 6th sense kicks in, but I look like a gringo (blond hair, good size, etc). Just recently while pulling a late night at Aeroporto Internacional de São Paulo (Guarulhos)--I dozed off in a cafe, not even 20 minutes and sure enough some a--hole Brasiliero opened my luggage and stole my new Sony digital camera with all my priceless pics from my recent trip, including property comps! My bag was 2 feet from my head in front of me! Now that takes some f-cking balls. That was the 3rd sony digital camera stolen in eight years traveling within Brazil.

The Run Down:
- 3 cameras
- Flat robbed of everthing by personal trainer
- Lost $100k on land scam/lawyers/blow $ supporting project
- Two Laptops (bust station and left in a "friends" flat)
- Two new Mongoose Mountain Bikes (Ipanema-1PM-Beach Locked-they cut chain)
- Rental agencies keeping my deposit/overcharging aka gringo tax
- Assaulted 3 times in south zone of Rio

I could go on.....

There is good reason why Brazilians have a questionable reputation abroad--not all, but at least 50% cannot be trusted period.

Dotty · #12 06-04-2008, 09:06 AM

I dont buy twinings,just quoted cost!Domestics can come and go and yes it is not unusual to be robbed.There have been many cases.It is usually for stuff like a pk of rice,suger,if you leave your handbag around forget it!
Most are over worked,work every weekend,cook for many,many people as Brazilians often live in large families to keep the costs down and when it comes to summer gob forbid.The domestic is carted of the summer house and is made to cook and serve for 20 + people day in day ,breakfast,lunch and dinner,amongst cleaning and washing clothes,,parties,barbeques,etc,etc and gets her bus fare paid if she is lucky.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celt

Golfing,

While Gringos are fair game, better off Brazilians are frequently victims too. It is very common to have to fire a maid due to theft. Perhaps this is on account of the low minimum salaries for these types of jobs. The problem is, if the minimum salaries are raised too much, a lot of these jobs would disappear.

Dotty, why do you need to buy Twinings? The local "cha preto" is cheap and tastes fine.

michaelbush · #13 06-04-2008, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raimundo

A few years back I was involved in a scam land deal just next door to the Ma Noa water park in Maracajau, a small town 40 minutes north of Natal. The owner (we're still not sure who is), her name is 'Olga'. Come to find out later on she scammed others; italians, espanolos, etc. Our general contractor was also in on it; his name is Newton Takahara. Olga is nowhere to be found and Takahara is working in south Brazil. Later we hired an attorney in Rio to help us get our money back, but that was another waste of $.

The land is a big plot, oceanfront, sitting next to Agua Parque Ma Noa, about 7 acres.

I have found someone who knows Takahara. He promises to get a tel number for me, and confirms he is working in Rio Grande do Sul. He did not know anything abount "Olga" but perhaps you have the full name? He seems to think it was around 2003? I believe there are still issues with this project, and full licences have still not been granted.

LisaNic · #14 06-04-2008, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raimundo

A few years back I was involved in a scam land deal just next door to the Ma Noa water park in Maracajau, a small town 40 minutes north of Natal. The owner (we're still not sure who is), her name is 'Olga'. Come to find out later on she scammed others; italians, espanolos, etc. Our general contractor was also in on it; his name is Newton Takahara. Olga is nowhere to be found and Takahara is working in south Brazil. Later we hired an attorney in Rio to help us get our money back, but that was another waste of $.

The land is a big plot, oceanfront, sitting next to Agua Parque Ma Noa, about 7 acres.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think this is the land...

wwwdotgemestatesdotcodotuk/propertydotasp?ID=64

and

wwwdotmanoabeachresortdotcom

Good luck and don't get scammed in Brazil.

Ma-Noa beach resort is being developed by Promaga, another Spanish based company.

My understanding is that they are still awaiting the final licence but they have got full ownership of the land.

Promaga - Venta de promociones de obra nueva en Costa del Sol, Andalucía, España

#15 06-04-2008, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelbush

I have found someone who knows Takahara. He promises to get a tel number for me, and confirms he is working in Rio Grande do Sul. He did not know anything abount "Olga" but perhaps you have the full name? He seems to think it was around 2003? I believe there are still issues with this project, and full licences have still not been granted.

Mr. Bush -

At this point, we are beyond this... we don't care anymore. Once you give a Brazilian/Latino $ before the job, see it as a gift--you'll never see that $ again.

I simply posted about our experiences to hopefully save the next guy from being scammed in real estate in Brazil.

Dotty · #16 07-04-2008, 04:44 PM

It seems such common practise to be scammed in Brazil right now and quite deifficult to find who is honest and who are outright crooks.Any suggestions and tips on spotting them?
Thanks Dot

Dotty · #17 07-04-2008, 04:46 PM

It seems such common practise to be scammed in Brazil right now and quite difficult to find who is honest and who are outright crooks.Any suggestions and tips on spotting them?
Thanks Dot

jvizman · #18 07-04-2008, 06:30 PM

Dotty
Try Costa Rica. It is the safest place in all of South and Central America. It was number 27th in a survey of 419 countries. I do not say that there are no scammers here. But i am living here since 2001 and have NEVER had anything stole. The odd Gringo tax in a taxi but that is the extent of it. There is very rarely an violent crimes. usually some thing stupid like cell phone or a bag stolen. and even then i only know of a handfull of people that has expierenced this. and all were in a bad area of town at nite. I would be glad to help you find something to look at here. I am a RE agent here. Do not give up! I wil help you find Paradise! EM jorge at daygroupserives dot com.