Beware the Car Window Tinting Guy
I can identify a lot with this story. I hear a fair number of horror stories involving a new arrival to Costa Rica who trusts the first person he sees, only to get shafted in the end. That being said, this guy takes the cake over in neighboring Panama. If I ever get my car windows tinted, and the guy doing the work says he’s got connections with attorneys and recommends people to handle my finances, I’ll ask him what the !@#$ is he doing tinting windows for a living.
He owned a BMW M3 convertible, Lexus LX470 and GS400. In Panama. A third world country. With rampant poverty. And Colombians hanging out there. Smart.
Update: Bad guys hire design people to make professional-looking web sites. Even the guy with the security tinting products has his own personal site. You can also buy real estate from him and put money down before even coming to Panama. Sounds like a job for 419eater!
Jeff :: Jul.19.2007 :: Livin' in Costa Rica ::
The guy he introduced me to was the ex-chief of police of Panama City. Guatavo Adolfo Perez. I’ll post a copy of his business card up when I get the chance.
I didn’t trust the car tint guy that too much, I held all the bearer shares in my safe. He used photocopies to have fake shareholder meetings, change all my companies directors, then names, then reissue new shares in his name.
I made a few mistakes, colombia being the stupidest I think. The mistakes I made didn’t equal the home invasion (10 guys in broad daylight, in the best tower in the country!), or the extortion, or the ex cheif of police being in on it, or the attorney stealling all my original bearer shares and selling them to the person I paid him to sue! Didn’t earn the judge payoff, or the fake passports….
These criminals are working very hard as we speak. They’ve dedicated to keeping what they’ve stolen. I could and probably will be typing for a few years to come about all of the numerous horrible things they’ve done.
Forged my signature…death threats….
I feel sorry for their next victim. I’m doing everything I can to put them out of the crime business, but it’s just not working.
By the way, I’ve lived a few months in San Jose, the situation with cars in Panama, is NOTHING like costa rica. EVERYONE in panama has a lexus lx470, seriously, it’s probably 2nd most visible in the down town area next to the toyota prado, which I’d say is the most popular middle class car there.
I know you already know this, but the price of cars in Panama is almost half of costa rica price, depending on the car, maybe 33% is a closer approximation.
the lx470 was a 2000, the gs a 1999, the m3, my baby, that was a 2003, and still looked weak next to the numerous ferraris and masseratis, and a lamborghini…that drive around the area.
Panama city is very very small, so you see all the nice cars all the time.
Richard,
I’ve been to Panama and I must admit I was impressed at the number of luxury cars on the street compared to San Jose. But it still stands that the income polarity and the culture makes these scams common, and I’d stay fairly inconspicuous if I lived in Panama, just like I try to do here. Nothing like buying a $1000 beater for going to the bank. (I’m serious.)
Sometimes bearer shares have more downsides than benefits. Also, I’ve lived here long enough to realize that being police doesn’t inspire any confidence. In fact that’s like an X. Police, lawyers, politicians — people to trust the least in Latin America.
In the end I do believe you got victimized in a way I didn’t think was possible before reading your story. I hope some good can come of this.