Pretending To Be Rich

This is not an exhaustive list, but a few choice selections of actual people who practice this hobby.

House Hunting

Every month, Joanie finds high end properties and contacts the Real Estate Agents.  She is picked up, taken to view, and expresses cautious interest.  She often has particulars sent to a lawyer’s office.

Joanie could not buy a trailer, but this doesn’t stop her from playing the role of millionairess, enjoying a few hours of ‘duchess’ treatment.

How does she get away with it?

Firstly, lawyers love real estate. Lots of money not much work.  By casually visiting a law office claiming she is thinking of buying a very expensive piece of property, she is treated as a priveledged client, though no money has changed hands.

Insurance Addiction

Periodically, Elsa decides to take out an Insurance Policy. She fills the forms, then attends the doctor.

She gets a free medical check up. During the examination she mentions various health issues.  The doctor must examine these issues.  If the client has ‘previously existing’ medical conditions her premiums would be higher.

As the doctor is responsible for making sure no one with a pre-existing condition gets a policy, (save at vastly inflated rates) the more Elsa complains the more he checks. After all, he has to be thorough.

Sometimes she will be sent for Tests, (which will be paid for by the Insurance Company), sometimes proscribed medication.

As the premiums will be higher than originally stipulated Elsa will turn down the policy.

She’s gotten her free medical check-up, though.

Test Drives

Bob will wander over to one of the Automobile show rooms and let a salesman talk him into a car, take it for a test drive around town.  He couldn’t afford to put gas in the tank, but does like to drive cars he could never own.

How does he get away with it?

Bob will drive one fancy car to the showroom of another, make eye contact with the salesmen so that they think he’s a guy who owns what he’s driving, hence can afford what they are selling.

Canapes

Agnes will get all dressed up, go to a fancy restaurant and claim she is meeting someone, even giving a name.

While waiting, she will enjoy some canapes. After thirty minutes, she will seem very glum.

How does she get away with it?

Many upscale places are very alert to the ’suicidal’ client who might make a scene. Often a manager or assistant will ‘keep her company’, buying her a drink or an appetizer.

Some will buy her dinner, others will signal she should leave. She will depart, travel to another such place to enjoy more canapes, and perhaps another free drink.

Some places seat her at a table with a basket of bread. Others give out small bowls of soup.

Agnes has had her ‘night out’…sometimes she even meets people she knows who invite her to join them. Often, she’ll get ‘tastes’ of their meals, enough to fill her stomach.

And because she is being seen at particular upscale places, and because there seems a juicy mystery as to who she was waiting for, the ‘price’ of her company is happily paid.

I don’t suggest you do these things, just that they are done.