How has this been glossed over?!
Care to elaborate?
I thought I'd told the story on here, maybe not, probably not something for this thread.
But here goes...essentially it was our last night in Shanghai after the F1 race and we were out drinking, we then we're going back to the hotel, 4 of us, my boss wanted to go out for more fun so I decided to go with him to make sure he was ok......
We were leaving the hotel and two girls asked us if we wanted fun, obviously my mate said yes, so we walked quite a distance following these girls, they took us to this building in a dimly lit street, my safety warning system had gone off as soon as we saw these girls, but I wanted to make sure my mate was ok so went along with it.
We went upstairs, to this karaoke type room with a big tv and sound system, and these girls came in, we were asked if we wanted to spend some time with one, no idea what actually for exactly, they said including a free beer it would cost us the equivalent of £30, my mate had no money, but he was game so I paid for him, he chose a girl and I reluctantly did too, not that any of them were that nice.
So they they take me out of the room into my own room, same setup. She massages me for a while by punching me playfully, very surreal. Anyway it's over and I am led back into the original room with my mate who's also getting a massage.
Then the girls leave and 3 guys come in, I'm thinking, s**t, I know what's going to happen here, and I was bang on (tbf I'd called it from the moment we saw these birds), then asked us to put everything from our pockets on the table, then strip to prove it. Said that we'd enjoyed the service they had supplied and now needed to pay. We said we'd already paid, they said, no, that's the tip for the girls. You now need to pay us, and the price was £5000.
At this point I'm shitting it, as this can only go one way! So they ask my mate for a credit card, he hasn't got one, they search him again, he even takes the inner sole out of his trainer to prove (he actually had a card in the other one lol), so they asked me, and I had a debit card, they asked me how much they'd old charge to it, I said I didn't know, which was the truth as I didn't know how much they could get away with, looyds are pretty hot on fraud when abroad. He called me a liar, we went back and forwards for several minutes me saying i didn't know, and in the end I just said, ok, yes it will work just to shut him up. So they got a card machine and plugged it in, and tried it for 5k, by this point they'd given me my phone back and it was in my pocket. I thought about entering the pin incorrectly but knew it would show that and it would antagonise them further so put the right one in. As soon as I did I felt a vibration in my pocket, which I knew was lloyds preventing the charge, and I was right, it was decline. He then asked me if £2.5k would work, I said probably not now it's been declined, they tried again and same thing. Then they asked how much I can get out of a cashpoint, I said £200, they were going to escort me to one until I said that.
So they call the big boss in, he's dressed in a sharp suit, just like a film or something, he asks us to empty our pockets again. Keeps the phone this time, although they aren't interested in the phones or the cash we have, just a credit card transaction. So they turn to my mate again and say this is a serious matter, and we have to come up with a way of paying. They can't believe he doesn't have a card on him, but he does have a hotel room key and the cardboard cover they come in, so they now know where we are staying and what room he's in and say he must have a card back at the room as he's on holiday. So they say he has to go back with 2 guys escorting him while I'm held there. So off they go, take a taxi and 2 guys go with him leaving me with the 3rd guy and the boss.
I am shitting myself at this point as I'm now left completely on my own, and actually am considering the fact I might die and might have to fight my way out of this to save my life, very scared. The guy picks up my phone and immediately the boss goes mental at him telling him to put it down, they weren't at all interested in an iPhone 5.
After what seemed like the longest period in the world another guy comes in carrying the card machine again, and I'm praying its because my mate is back, and he is, with his credit card, they put it in the machine and process it for £2.5k and get him to sign a paper receipt, they wanted it to look as official as possible and then said ok, you're free to leave.
I had masses of adrenaline running through me now, as I walked past the guy I shook his hand and said thank you lol, as if thanking him for letting me leave unscathed. They asked if we wanted a taxi calling, my mate said yes, I said no thanks, I didn't want to be driven to the next place to get fucked over so decided we would walk.
I didn't speak for literally 10 mins after leaving, still in shock, then my mate said to me that it was the biggest adrenaline Rush he's ever had, only matched by a skydive, he was buzzing, I was still in shock.
So that's my captive and ransom story, like out of a film but experienced for real, mental!