Everyone wants money. Those that don’t want it are either mad, content or unable to make sense of its value. The last two categories consist of hermits and children. Even those that have more than enough still want to maintain their reserves. The thing is, some people want money without having to actually work hard for it. They spend their time crafting ingenious ways to make it within the shortest span of time.

A smart businessman can make himself a millionaire given enough time and resources. It can take years worth of profitable investments and good business decisions, but at the end of the day, the returns will speak for themselves. A salary-man can hope and pray, but without the right amount of planning, a monthly pay cheque is like a flowing tap trying to fill a tiny-holed cup. The water keeps flowing but the cup is never full.

The common con-man will spend his time planning and scheming, waiting for the day his long-awaited big ship will arrive. He will calculate his risk against the possible returns, asking himself questions like how many people will fall for this scam? And every day he uses the same scheme, word of his exploits spreads like wildfire. Soon everyone in the city knows his trick. Before he can make anything substantial  his entire market-base has been educated and know well enough to steer away from him. Then it’s back to the drawing board as the con-man is forced to concoct a more iron-clad scheme.

Perhaps one of the most common scams in current circulation is the dropped envelop trick. For those who have no idea what this means, the scam involves an envelope that seems to appear out of nowhere on the street.

The trick is simple. The con-man drops a fat envelop just within your line of sight. He then proceeds to pick it up. The next step requires a little acting and a bit of finesse.

“Oh! Did you see me pick that up?” He asks in what appears to be a mild yet convincing state of panic. “I suppose we should see what it is.”

Peeping out of the thick package is a KES 1000 note. One has to assume that the envelope is full of money. And because you saw him pick it up, this entrepreneur attempts to buy your silence. He quickly suggests that you split the cash in some quiet and private location like a public toilet.

The Greedy Approach

Once you're free from the prying eyes of the public, your good friend is willing to split the cash with you. But wait. There’s a catch. The gentleman wants you to count the cash as he waits outside. Because he can’t trust a stranger like you, he would like to hold something of value as you split the cash on each other's behalf.

He could ask for your phone or a laptop you just happen to be carrying in your bag. He’ll convince you that he won’t runaway because an envelope that thick could be carrying over KES 50,000. Even if he steals your things, you will still have more than enough money to replace them.

You get into an empty stall and tear open the envelope. What’s this? Newspapers and cotton-balls? You’ve been tricked! You quickly burst out of the stall only to find nothing outside. Your friend is gone and so are your belongings. Your greed has gotten the best of you. In the words of Clergyman, Charles Caleb Colton, ‘Avarice has ruined more souls than extravagance.’

The Honest Approach

If you are a person with a kind heart and a noble spirit, you might want to find the owner of this bountiful package. After all, it is the right thing to do. Lucky for you, this gentleman just happens to have a contingency for your sense of candor.

It appears the owner of this package has conveniently left his number on the back of the envelope. To make the scam seem more convincing, the gentleman lets you find the number yourself and then proceeds to commend you on your excellent skills of observation.

Like a Good Samaritan, you dial the number and someone answers. You explain the situation. The person on the other end of the line confirms what you’ve suspected all along; He dropped the envelope on his way to the bank and desperately needs his money back.

He asks you both to meet him somewhere with the promise of a reward. As it turns out, the gentleman you met earlier was in cahoots with the person who answered your call. There was never any money in the envelope, just cotton-balls and old newspapers. They lured you into their trap. You were expecting a little bus fare and some airtime. You will be greeted with kicks and blows. They will empty your wallet and take whatever else they can find.

Let this be a lesson to you. When a country’s work force is but a mere fraction of the entire population, the kindness of strangers is hard to come by.

If you see an envelope lying precariously on the floor, keep walking.