How to Recognize a Dangerous, Life-Altering Scam

We've talked about scams in Morocco a few times on the podcast, from one of our early episodes (Scams! How to Understand and Avoid Them) to one of our recent Live Q&A sessions, (Latest Scams: Staying Safe While Traveling in Morocco).

It's a topic we often circle back to, because we want to make sure that all tourists, whether they travel with Destination Morocco or on their own, are staying safe and confident while visiting Morocco.

Some scams though are far more involved and intricate than overpaying for a taxi or a rug. They are the product of years of nurturing, patience and trust, trust which turns out to be a dangerous façade.

These scams prey on vulnerable tourists, people in moments of change and desperation in their lives, who can't, or refuse, to recognize the signs. They meet someone and form an emotional bond, and if that bond is made under false pretenses, it's not just money but so much more that comes under threat.

Today's episode is designed to help you know what to look out for, how to recognize the signs, think about your situation and listen to those close to you, who are giving you warnings from a different perspective.

And if you're listening and know of someone who might fit one of the scenarios we talk about, we want to give you the tools to help them be safe, and extricate them from that relationship.

Siham Essahiri, whom you'll remember from the impactful conversation last year, "Henna and the Strength of Moroccan Women," joins Azdean and Sam on this episode to share some of her first-hand experience in recognizing these dangerous scams. These moving stories will help you recognize just how deep these scams and false pretenses can go. 

We recognize that this may sound like a very doom and gloom episode, that might put you off travel to Morocco. But as Siham points out, the vast majority of Moroccans, 99+%, are genuinely friendly, courteous and kind. Love stories and friendships do exist that are absolutely real and sincere. But we have seen enough of the opposite to want to make sure that all visitors to Morocco are simply aware that yes, it can happen, and we don't want it to happen to you.

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Welcome back to another amazing episode of Destination Morocco podcast. In today's episode, we have Sam and Siham, if you remember Siham, she was a guest exactly a year ago, March 1st, 2023. We have published her episode. Henna and the Strength of Moroccan Women.

AZDEAN: So Siham, Sam, welcome back to the podcast.

SAM: Thank you very much.

SIHAM: [00:01:00] Hello. Thank you.

AZDEAN: There's so many of them. We'll try to, to talk about some that are really, really bad and they happen throughout the year. Anywhere in Morocco, you can, you can be exposed to these scams and you can actually be a victim of these scams.

So, the first question that I have, It's about a scam targeting sentimental and sexual exploitation towards travelers, solo travelers, female travelers, even men traveling. and it's pretty bad in Morocco, actually, when you look deep into it, uh, if you notice it. So I'm going to start with Siham.

Uh, when we talked about this topic a few days ago. You shared some painful stories with me. It made me feel terrible and we cannot keep this information to ourselves. it had to be shared. Siham, can you share a story of this happening and how does this scam really start and can be [00:02:00] prevented, please?

SIHAM: Okay, uh, first of all, thank you so much for having me here today and giving me the opportunity to speak about this very important topic. So, uh, I mean, by the time that you first, uh, suggested and asked me for recording, uh, with you about scams in Marrakech, from the first things that came to my mind is that because it's Know a lot of people knows about it or talk about it.

So, I see that it's very important and it's quite big even we don't talk about it. So, uh, I just wanted to, uh, highlight it for today and maybe start the episode talking about this topic. And as you said, it is about, scams that targeting sentimental and sexual. Exploitation. It could be, um, towards women or men.

And, um, I mean, during my job, I'm meeting a lot of travelers, whatever's in group or, or, or travelers, uh, and especially, especially female travelers. As a [00:03:00] woman, uh, of course, this is something made me very angry and sometimes sad. so I really would love to share this and, uh, yeah, I appreciate that you're giving me that opportunity.

AZDEAN: You're most welcome, Siham.

SIHAM: So let's talk about how it happens before giving some few examples. Of course, I'm saying few because I know a lot of them, you know, it's, it's, it's just crazy. So, I would definitely, uh, start talking about the, uh, the Medina. when I'm talking about the Medina, it starts from the airport pickup and the drivers back to the city.

We're talking about cafes or restaurants, about waiters, bodyguards at the entries, uh, sellers in shops in the markets. I mean, it could happen everywhere. I'm going to speak about women mostly because these are maybe for those guys are the easiest to catch, right? So, especially when it comes to someone that looks like a little [00:04:00] naive or visiting Morocco for the first time, someone that mostly like the age could be also a sign, like for women that are a little over like 40.

50. so, uh, it's always starting with being very nice and sweet and, invitations mostly. Uh, the invitations would be like a tea or like, okay, I invite you for a coffee for the afternoon. I mean, after being so sweet, sometimes offering like small gifts, in the stores, for example, like selling jewelry or clothes or whatever, it could be a little scarf or anything.

that end up by an invitation. And if the clients or the visitor is, is, is accepting the invitation, then it starts to be like, uh, you know, talking about the, the city, things like that, start to talk about the family. Uh, and most of them, I mean, all, most of the stories I've heard is always about victimizing themselves, like.

They're always the hero coming from, uh, I don't know, villages very far. They're supporting [00:05:00] family and I mean, I mean, this is, this is typical in Morocco. This is our culture. It's real. It's not, it's not, it's not a lie. I mean, we are all doing that. I mean, all Moroccans, we do that. We're supporting our families.

Everybody here, almost everybody having, hard time because it's not easy. Life is not easy. We're all working hard. But for someone visiting Morocco for the first time and don't know a lot about the culture, they would see this as a hero. This person is already as a hero. So if this is a hero, then for sure all Moroccans are heroes because all, all of us are doing the same thing.

But of course, it's always about sad stories. My mom is sick. My father is this, my, you know, uh, that makes that. Person like look at you as a very nice sweet person that's sacrificing for many others and always they are, you know, with small salary and rant in a room with the friends, you know, always like that very bad and difficult life that makes that person feel sorry and sad [00:06:00] and emotionally wants to support or help somehow, right? Even, even that starts with buying stuff from you. Of course, this definitely is going to be overpriced sometimes. A lot, but, the most of the cases that I saw these guys are just can know somehow they, I think it's the experience they can know the people that maybe look a little bit rich or very rich, so they would never waste their time with someone that's not showing that has money,

AZDEAN: I see.

SIHAM: Yes,

AZDEAN: Okay. So basically, uh, if I may ask you a question, uh, Siham, so, when this scam is, is unfolding, it's happening, the, the, the person basically is qualifying the tourist or the traveler, uh, making sure they have, money they have, you know, they are a really good target audience for them.

SIHAM: Definitely. Yes, that's mine. even in a very weird way, you know, they can, I think there's smell in that, you know, they, they know [00:07:00] the, how they, the criterias. Yeah. I mean, they just, they know what they want and they know how to get what they want. So how a tourist can, can understand this? They will never understand. You will never understand. They would always look very sweet, innocent. I mean, just nice soul. That's what you're gonna know about that person. But of course, the coming next is different. So the first thing is, can happen is using you as a woman.

I'm now specifically talking about women. So after an invitation or two invitations after one or two nights in Marrakech, you're going to be invited to the apartment or whatever it is. So if this happened, then it's going to start to be a kind of a love and another story of, okay, you're the woman, I was dreaming about you, another life, whatever, things like that, like making a very romantic movie women that are really like, I don't know, a divorced woman, a single woman, women with a little special, uh, social cases, they would start [00:08:00] to believe it.

Sometimes, you know, they also can feel this because they would ask you a question. Are you married? Do you have kids? So they know your situation. So they know also the way how to, uh,

AZDEAN: To approach you.

SIHAM: exactly. it's taken always time. But after that, the women or guests or clients leave Morocco, they always keep in touch.

Like it's, that's the, the second stage, like keeping in touch, messages, WhatsApp, or social media in general, all flowing each other. And always the stories and the emotions and all this, this thing, they make it just like, uh, look like a real and a big thing. And then the stories, the sad stories coming next, like I don't know, a catastrophe, that mother that needs a surgery, that store, that whatever is, I don't know, like, creating a sad story in the middle so that person would feel like, oh, that, um, I feel sorry for him, he's struggling, whatever, I want to help, so the help, of course, [00:09:00] it's always financial, like money, so there, whatever.

There it starts all this cam because if that person is going to send even a 50, let's say, as a little help of a little thing, if it happened, then that person would know that you're ready to do that. So there are the stories we're going to get bigger and bigger Yeah,

AZDEAN: they will continue basically.

SIHAM: continue and it's getting to more dependent of that person.

I mean, if they feel like you have some money to give, they're going to ask about get help, help, help and creating stories. If they feel that someone are like a very rich person or have a lot of money. Maybe the thing can change to a business, like I want to make my business bigger, so the money or the sum of money will be bigger, of course, a lot of people got very bad scams in terms of businesses, like losing their money for a business that never become true, or sometimes like [00:10:00] buying cars or Uh, camp in the desert, a hotel, you know, this, this thing needs a lot of money.

So a lot of people are just, were victims of scams like that from people that they just knew this way. Uh, 

AZDEAN: so 

these scams, they don't happen overnight, um, you know, we're talking in period of three months, sometimes six months. So it's, it's, it's a long term and it's a long distance, um, back and forth and back and forth. 

SIHAM: So, uh, I'm going to talk about a friend of me that she was at the first, uh, I met her as a client. I am an Airbnb host. I am an entrepreneur. I organize many activities for tourists from tours to whatever it is.

So, I'm meeting a lot of tons of people. this friend, her name was Amy. Amy was a guest at the first of my Airbnb apartment, and you know, I'm always like when I have free time, I always welcoming my guests on tea, we talk. So I started to know her more. So she was coming regularly to Morocco.

like, [00:11:00] it was like maybe second or the third time that she came, and because she liked the stage, she always booking with me. So at the second or third time, I was asking her why she's coming regularly to Morocco, why she's American, I mean, she lives very far. And then she started to talk about her love story.

with someone. Well, at that time she was about 65 or 64, 65 years old. So she started to talk about someone that she met in the desert. When she met him she was like 57 I think. Uh, he was 20 or 21. Much, much younger. He was someone working in the desert in a camp, and this is a common scam. So the time after dinner. It's typically known in the desert that all guests will go or sit around the campfire playing trumps and things like that. So this is exactly the moment of the biggest scam, which is [00:12:00] fishing. I would call it fishing. Fishing the, whatever, the most beautiful or the most rich person or women mostly in the

AZDEAN: I'm the camp, yeah,

SIHAM: analyze the guests around So he was inviting her to see after I mean after the show to see the stars on the highest dune in the desert That it's super dark and because of the darkness they can see the stars and how beautiful is So this is a very typical story now It's now like everybody knows and even now it's like a joke of people taking out I I'm gonna take her to see the stars means something, you know.

So, um, he was inviting her and of course it happens. she liked him. She, she was saying that she loves him. He's younger than youngest son is younger than her youngest son, but she fell in love with him. He was a super smart guy. [00:13:00] I call him smart. It's not A nice way, it's a bad way. So, uh, that guy, you know, uh, as I said before, the stories about his family, that he did not go school because he had to work hard and support the family.

Well, she was really believing in them, you know, you won't see her telling me those stories. Her, her eyes were shining. She was talking about the hero. Okay. So she, she was like really in love with him. So she was always telling me if I have work because he was a driver.

She was saying to me, if you have any clients, please provide him. He needs work and she would start to talk about his stories and troubles and whatever. there was a truck or something in the farm that followed his back.

It's broke his back. So now he cannot do, something like physically like, uh, hard. So that's why he can only drive.

AZDEAN: I see,

SIHAM: Well, at the end of the things, I don't want to talk about more details, but she decided to buy him a [00:14:00] car, a four by four car to work in the desert because he cannot do any other thing and he's struggling in the camp or so she bought him the car and his first present for her was taking her on a very big tour of Morocco and she was telling me that she has like the biggest dream achieved in Morocco with someone she loved, she was happy.

that's how it started. So she loved all the things that she was coming regularly to meet him, to spend time, every time she was there. I mean, I was seeing this because we became friends. She was telling me almost everything. So I was always feeling that he was using her like in every month, almost sometimes like.

twice per month, she would, she would send him money because he's always having problems. His family always in needs. The car is always broken. I mean, all the reasons on the earth he was giving her to send money, money, money. So, I was meeting Amy for like four or [00:15:00] five years that she was regularly coming in some few times.

She stayed for a month, for two months, she was renting the apartment saying to be close to see him and things like that.

AZDEAN: mm,

SIHAM: the 2019, that was, uh, before the COVID pandemic, like few months before she was here in Morocco. And, um, at that time she was telling me that he was, like, he changed. To word her.

He's not that sweet that he, she doesn't feel like loved anymore. And they was just asking like, why and things like that. So she was telling me that he is asking about money about, again, the car is broken, but she doesn't believe it's broken. And, uh, she refused to give him money.

So he turned to be like rude sometimes.

AZDEAN: Oh,

SIHAM: I mean, it was going like back and forth for a few weeks because I was meeting her a lot in the apartment. And then one day she was crying because of this and [00:16:00] she was like missing him, but he was refusing to meet her. Of course, because he did not get the money as he used to. Then she said to me, I don't know what to do. And she needed my advices. For the first time I was. asked for to give an advice, you know, I was all the time feeling that, but she was not feeling that he has been using her for all the years. It was over 10 years. The total between she met him to the pandemic, by the way, so, asked, I asked her, okay, I can give you a little advice I said, tell him that you, for any reason, lost all your money.

It's not the fact that you don't want to give him money, but you don't have money anymore to give to him and see what happened. So I told her this, and then it took like one or two hours after she was coming upstairs to me, she was crying. And she hugged me. I said, what? What happened? Then she told me that she that and after seeing her message on Facebook, [00:17:00] he blocked her.

AZDEAN: he blocked her.

SIHAM: He blocked

AZDEAN: Oh, wow. 

SIHAM: me to use my phone to call him because she was blocked on his phone.

AZDEAN: so he blocked her on social media, then he blocked her on his phone.

SIHAM: Yes,

AZDEAN: So she cannot get in touch with him. Okay. So basically. Throughout the years, for 10 years, his attitude changed as soon as the money dried out from Amy. Okay, so what happened next? Now we're in Morocco, this is 2020, almost the pandemic hit.

What happens?

SIHAM: Okay, what happens, uh, Amy was stuck for a few weeks, It was like two months, uh, that she was stuck in Morocco because borders were closed. She was in my apartment. She got COVID. She was sick. Uh, we were together for so long. We became like very good friends.

Even, we are like at a different age, but she was very close to me. And, uh, I loved her so, so much. I was trying all my ways to to make the [00:18:00] thing look better. Even I know it's 10 years,

AZDEAN: Yeah. It's a

SIHAM: was horrible. And she finally discovered it. So it was a bit hard, but then she was there. And then when borders were open back, she had to leave Morocco, of course, because of the visa.

but I knew that she loved Morocco out of him. She, she was in love with Morocco too. She was She was leaving and she was telling me I'm going to keep, some stuff, like half of my stuff here because I'm coming back, I will be back, I don't like California, I'm going to be here. Because that was after her retirement, so she was

AZDEAN: Yeah. Wow.

SIHAM: only there to see her sons and come back. So she left, a few months later she was telling me that she was sick, feeling a little sick, she was waiting only for the borders to be opened. reopened to come back, but it did not happen. and by the time that it happened, she was more sick, feeling more sick. Then she discovered that she had the cancer.

Then, uh, she had to go for a clinic for chemotherapy and, [00:19:00] you know, the process. So it was fast. It was fast, it seemed to be very serious and big because they made her stay there for a few months. Was like six or seven months, so it's something that she discovered very late. Oh, I don't know if I remember, but my last time, or our last call was maybe two or three weeks before she died, Amy died.

Um, two or three weeks before, uh, she was asking about him, she was asking me to ask him to call her because she would like to hear his voice because she was feeling like very weak

AZDEAN: Yeah. She's, she's.

SIHAM: I don't know, she was feeling like very sick and she wanted to hear his voice. I did like a big effort to find his contact and I called him and I told him that Amy is sick and that she would like you to call her. Then, yeah, it was just a [00:20:00] big shock that he refused even to say this, okay? And he called her like an annoying person. He said like, She's annoying me. I don't have time. Things like that. Even a very bad. Bad word he said about her, so I don't want to say this, but it was very rude. It was not nice, and he did not even believe that she is sick.

He said a few times she was pretending like sick, So he did not accept. to call her. And after this, I was not able to call with her because of her situation. Only a friend in common told me that she, she has her phone. yeah, I don't know. It's less than one week and a half later that I knew that she died. was shocked. I was very sad, but I don't know. 

AZDEAN: That's really, really sad. Um, it's, it's very touching story. It's, it's a horrible ending to something that started very [00:21:00] innocent. Unfortunately.

SIHAM: It's not nice at all toward her because she was a very nice person. She was a very nice soul. I knew that she loves to help him because she feels like he needs help, but I really don't even, or can't believe that someone can do this to someone that really helped, you know, it's, it's, it's unbelievable. And I, I, I just hate it and I don't like any other women to get the same, whatever from a Moroccan or another. It's crazy. It's horrible to wear the word woman emotions. Yeah.

AZDEAN: it's, it's, you're not losing a few bucks. You're not losing 10, 500, 200, a thousand dollars. It's, it's a loss of a life.

it's just, it's terrible. It's terrible. So, um, I'm, I'm just gonna, um, go to you, Sam, um, and ask, what are your thoughts? Because I know we've been to Merzouga, we've [00:22:00] had this conversation many, many, many times, you know, during the summer, before the summer, a year ago, every year, we talk about this all the time.

can you share some of your stories? if we can help one person, I think we have done our duty as, as, as ambassadors to Morocco.

These things are very difficult for us to talk about because they are negative. We love Morocco so much, we love the tourists. We love the travelers that go to Morocco and we want them to be prepared what to look for, you know, not to go in, in somebody's innocent. Uh, naive, good hearted person and somebody takes advantage of you.

Somebody changes your life forever in the most horrific way. So, Sam, what are your thoughts,

SAM: Okay. It's, um, we have, we have to tell our audience the truth about all this dangerous scams because this is, as you said, our duty towards our travelers because we love the country and want people to be aware [00:23:00] and, uh, not to fall in the same mistakes or some big scams like this, like this one.

I just want to talk about something especially happening every time in the Sahara desert, especially. Many, many clients, they have thousands of stories. About this, but just I will mention one of them, the guy just invite invaded the lady She was traveling with him with Her two daughters And in in, in the desert in Zu.

Exactly. He invites her to Berber Massage. There is nothing exists named or called Berber Massage. There is no Berber massage, by the way. So, he invite her and she believed him and, um, in a tent, and he did like massage. I don't know what's happened inside, inside the tent, and I don't want to tell our audience about this. Then what's next? it's the same story. he [00:24:00] took her to a family, which is not his family. It's a nomad family. He paid them the money to tell the clients that This is my family. This is my family members. the kids, showing him the kids, where are you living? I live with my parents here in the, in the tents as a nomad It touched her emotionally and she believed him. Then when they finished the tour, uh, he said, okay, you know where I'm living, I'm just a driver, I'm just working for a, for a company.

And they didn't pay me. They just pay me like one 1, 500 a month. And they have to do all this job. Every day and so, and so on and so forth. Then she, traveled back to, to the US she kept in touch with him and, afterwards just texting messages and love, sad love stories. Then, he asked her, my family needs to buy an apartment or just to move for a house or some stuff.

She sent him the [00:25:00] money. Okay. Then after like six months, she came back to Morocco and he suggested to her to have his own car,

AZDEAN: Oh, wow.

SAM: not to work for somebody

AZDEAN: the apartment. Now she he's asking for the car.

SAM: Yeah. For the car. this is what she did. She bought him a car and she suggest to him, I can help you more.

You can create an agency. A transport is agency. Then she send him like $500,000.

AZDEAN: Oh my,

SAM: Yes.

AZDEAN: hold on. $500,000. We're talking US dollars.

SAM: US dollars.

AZDEAN: Half a million dollars.

SAM: Yes, half a million dollars. Because he, he knows that she is very rich. Very rich and he has like, two or three businesses there.

I don't remember exactly how many businesses. Her own businesses in US. She is very rich. She is divorced.

AZDEAN: oh wow,

SAM: [00:26:00] Yeah. So, then. He said, Okay, we can create agency and we can work together. I can send you my friends and clients, travelers, tourists from United States and you can work. We can work together even if you want. He said, Okay, he created his own agency on his name. Then, after like two years, when she came back to Morocco, because she stopped, as Siham said, they stopped, she's texting him, I said, Oh no, I am working.

I don't have time. I have to manage everything and stuff, little by little, just get out of her. And then, uh, she came to Morocco and she found that there is no agencies, there is no girls and he just spent all the money. And most of it, he gave it to his real family, not the Nomad's family, by the way.

And he created, like, very beautiful house, like, for two hundred thousand dollars.

AZDEAN: my gosh,

SAM: Yes, and she, she didn't believe because she never signed a paper with him, she [00:27:00] never created an agency with him, and she, she scammed.

AZDEAN: she's out of luck. how old was she versus him? Uh, 

SAM: he was 27 and she was like 60, 62.

AZDEAN: 62. Oh wow. So this is, this is,

SAM: A

AZDEAN: is unbelievable. Yeah.

Okay. I want to add something else. Um, Sam and Siham. And this is, I live in the U. S. and I visit Morocco really whenever I have a chance to. I love visiting Morocco. It's just beautiful. But the thing is, anywhere I go, Sam, you know, I don't go by myself for many reasons. So when we go and whether we're in a square or talking to somebody, they look at me and they say, you're from the U.

S. Those people are super, beyond super smart. They can qualify you in nanoseconds. They know where you're coming from. the way you dress, the way you talk. thank you. You say, please, you know, the way you talk, they qualify. They know you're from the U S you're from Canada.

You're from Europe. So it's no surprise. Exactly. No surprise to what you [00:28:00] have been saying. The same thing with Siham. they know how to qualify you. They know to ask the right questions. and when they ask you a question, it's very specific. There's a reasoning behind it. Then they ask you this question, depending on the way you respond.

Then they'll ask you a follow up question. So they know you are the perfect target for them. So they will single you out and they have patience. They have all the patience in the world to take advantage of you. And you're completely unaware. If it's unfolding in front of your eyes and you don't see it, you're about to witness one of the biggest scams in your life.

SIHAM: the most common questions are the first questions. They're gonna start Asking where are you from? Is it your first time to Morocco? What is your job? Oh, they have kids. How many kids you have? Are you married? Things like that. So these five questions actually says everything All your financial, your social situations, and also your situation in [00:29:00] Morocco if you're new, if you don't know anything about Morocco

AZDEAN: Yes. 

So. We take it back to you, Siham. What else would you like to, to share with us in the audience, please?

SIHAM: Well, I noted like, uh, three other stories, uh, but I just want to mention that I'm not here to talk about only negative. Or saying that all Moroccans are like mean and gonna use you or gonna try this way with you.

just, just be aware, uh, Moroccans are, in general, are very nice, friendly, they're gonna help you, people are generous, okay, this is values that, as Moroccans, we all have, okay, so these are exceptions, Especially when we're talking about tourist zones, I would always underline Marrakech and desert. Those are the most, top attractions for tourists in Morocco, and that's why we will see them a lot right there. 

We don't want anyone hate Morocco or [00:30:00] Moroccans because such a stupid. That's what I call them. Uh, examples like this. Okay. So, I'm going to talk about, another friend, uh, apologies. I don't want to speak about names. Okay. Because, well, I spoke about Amy because she died and, She was just a very special and dear friend of me, so I didn't even feel nice to call her she, she, she.

I'm getting back to talk about another story and this time I won't say names because all of them are my friends. And I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings because almost of those victims, I'm calling them victims, they will never, um, know or feel that they are victims of that person. They always feeling all the time that they are in a very big love story and, you know, they don't see what, what, what I or anyone else can see. So, I have a friend, uh, she was also first as a client, [00:31:00] and the same intention was that she was regularly coming. She was from Europe, and, for the flights, the cheap flights, and the distance is not so long. She was coming, at least once per month.

when we started to have a little, friendship between us. Started to talk about Things. I was asking why she was coming because she loves Morocco or and then she started again To talk about her love story that was at least six years With someone from a desert but not the same desert.

This is a different one Southern Sahara Desert she met him in a fancy hotel he was a, sport coach there. She fell in love with him again. We are talking about almost the same ages. She was 50 when she met him. He was like a 22, 23. Uh, she liked him and, she was coming back to visit him every, almost once per month, almost once per [00:32:00] month.

the last time she was here was last August. Last year, 2023. That was her maybe fourth time that she stayed at my apartment. she was there and I noticed that she was sad. She was coming upstairs. She was calling me if I can go walk with her because she's feeling lonely and things. And then during the walk she was telling me that he is working full time. They have many clients in the hotel. He cannot get out of it. or he could not come to meet her. And she was sad because she had three kids. one 16 years old teenager that is a special needs that really needs her.

And she's divorced. She had no choice. living all the difficult life and responsibilities, leaving her work, she's a teacher, and coming just to visit him while he was just busy to get out of the hotel and come meeting her. And, when she was telling me that, she was, [00:33:00] uh, believing it, you know, she was, oh, the poor, he has to work, she believes, 

AZDEAN: so she trusted everything he said that if he doesn't have time off, he cannot get time off for her to see her to meet, um,

SIHAM: she was only sad that, that he cannot come, but she, she, she did not even expect another thing. Uh, for me, I can't be sure, but I was expecting that probably it's done, probably it's over.

AZDEAN: the relationship.

SIHAM: for him, because there is always a delay.

It's always a delay of getting what they want. Most of the time it's financially. So, uh, yeah, it was That was a Friday and then Saturday, the same thing. Her Sunday was the last day because She has to be back for work on Monday. Her flight was at 6 a. m. on Monday. So, on Saturday we had to say goodbye because I was going with some clients for a tour to Essaouira, which is three hours out of Marrakech.

[00:34:00] I told her for the checkout, just leave the keys inside and. close the door. everything was normal. Um, it was the Sunday morning. I left. It was like about midday. Just arrived to Essaouira. Uh, I had a call. there were police asking about

AZDEAN: The police,

SIHAM: Yes, police

AZDEAN: police called you. Wow.

SIHAM: "Siham?". I said, yes. And then they asked me, do you have, a friend or a guest? that call. Her name. I said, yes, they asked me if she's staying at my house. I said, yes. And then he told me that someone stole her bag. 

AZDEAN: so she got mugged and her handbag got stolen.

SIHAM: Yes. And, the way it was also a little aggressive because someone tried to get the bag. She did not let it go. So she fall on the, fall on the floor. Her. Yeah, and then she was there, like, in shock because the bag has everything, like, her passport, her bank [00:35:00] cards, yeah, her cash, her, keys, that was the only one way to get to the apartment, so they took everything in the bag, and then, when police came, they took her to the police,

AZDEAN: Station.

SIHAM: office?

Yeah, they called me from their number of course, but when they called me, they were asking me to come to, open the door for her. Yes. Because she had I think her driving license or someone that prove her Id. Okay, in the apartment, and she doesn't have anymore the access. So then I had to, I had to come back from my tour to Marrakech.

Which is another problem.

AZDEAN: first go to the apartment, retrieve her driver's license, then go to the police station to show that she is who she's saying she is.

And she got mugged and she got physically, hurt. That's

SIHAM: Yes. That's it. Yeah. So, uh, I was here by, 3 p. m. or so. Uh, she was still in the office. [00:36:00] Didn't eat all the day. I arrived there. She was crying. She was scared. She was shocked she couldn't even of telling me because she was just Crying so bad saw me She just hugged me and she was crying and crying and then I was trying to tell her that this could happen to anyone Don't take it personal.

It could happen to a Moroccan I was trying to make her not feel that bad and then when the time that she could Take a breath and finally say something. She was telling me that I'm not crying because of,

AZDEAN: mugged.

SIHAM: yeah, she told me I'm crying because he's lying. I said, who is lying? And then she said his name. And then she, she said that. To call me, when police came to call me, she did not have, of course, my number that was on her phone that was stolen.

AZDEAN: Yes.

SIHAM: So, uh, they were, I mean, police were asking her she know anyone in common that [00:37:00] have my contact.

She knows only him. She knows only him. So she said to the okay. I have a friend that one time I called him from his phone. So he has her number They asked her if she knows the address. She said yes, he's working in that Hotel and that he is there all time because he works there full time

So then police drove her to the hotel all the way to outside the city Looking to find that person that works in that hotel because she said that he is there. She's sure, she was sure that he is there working because her last morning in Marrakech, she really wanted to meet him and she said, she was asking in the morning, Can't you find just one hour to see you before I leave?

He was saying, I'm sorry. I, they don't allow, they don't allow me to go. I have to work. I'm working. So, Police drove her to the hotel, when police asked about his name. It was quick. It's police, [00:38:00] right? So it was quick that he was just out 

AZDEAN: So he came out, he came out

SIHAM: came out and he was not working. He was like, with a short, he was sleeping.

AZDEAN: So it's his day off.

SIHAM: So he was just taking a rest on the Sunday while she was asking him just to come to meet her. And she was telling all the time that he was working and he is poor and that he cannot eat very well because of the much work. That's what she was telling me about his situation. So he was there and he looked like a normal person, not hungry, not sick, not even working.

It was his off. So, uh, she forgot even about what happened in the street. She was only sad and shocked about that, but at least this happened, at least this happened to that, that she, she, she woke up. I'm happy that this happened to her, not waiting for another 10 years to be dying and you know, it's like, it's [00:39:00] crazy.

So, uh, yeah. And then I told her, okay, be happy. Be happy because now, you know, now, you know, so she struggled that all the trip to Morocco or to Marrakech was for him. She lost all her papers or her money. I let her money. Uh, I bought her like a small phone to be in contact with me because she had to go to Casablanca for the embassy of her country. I 

AZDEAN: quick question. So basically she lost everything on Sunday. Monday morning she had to catch a flight out of Casablanca Airport at 6 in the morning. So she has to leave Marrakech. She has to be at the airport in Casablanca about 4 a. m. So she needs to leave Marrakech, you know, maybe around 2 a.

m. or so. How could she, I mean, obviously she's gonna miss her flight.

SIHAM: She did.

AZDEAN: Yeah, so with no passports, no, no, nothing. Can you walk?

SIHAM: she lost, of course, lost the, the flight [00:40:00] and had to go to Casablanca. She was there with no money. She was with no money.

She had to travel to another city and find a hotel and go for all these documents and papers that she doesn't even know how to do it by herself. So, it was a very big problem. Also for her work, she was, I think it took two days to, to be able to find her a flight back home.

AZDEAN: Oh, wow.

SIHAM: So it was a very big problem, but, uh, it was good.

I, I, I would, I would say it's good because that was, something that happened. Yes, to open the eye. Okay, here you are. So, even, the story is bad, but it was good. 

AZDEAN: Thank you for sharing. I mean, it's just

SAM: And yeah, inside the bad things, there is always good things.

AZDEAN: the silver lining. Yes and it's just a sad story.

So there's so many of these stories. And, and again, just to, to confirm what Siham said, uh, we love Morocco. We love tourists to go to Morocco. We love travelers to go to [00:41:00] Morocco, but we want you to be aware. of things that may go wrong, just in case, um, this is the third time that we talk about scams. That's how important it is to us.

we did the first episode, two years ago, was episode number four. And to this day, I still get thank you messages. Thank you emails, DMs, because of that episode, because somebody say, Hey, that saved me a lot of money, me and my family. you prevented the scam from happening to me, whatever it is, how small or big it is.

So that's what really, really pushed us in a way to say, Hey, we can do more. We can share more. We can give more to the audience. Siham, I'm very grateful for you. Thank you for sharing these painful experiences. I know it didn't happen to you, but You are touched by them. We are touched by them as well because those are your friends.

They are not your clients. They are not tourists. They are not visitors, but they are your friends. 

SIHAM: yeah, we would feel sorry about this if it happened to anyone, even if it's not a friend, even someone that you just hear about. [00:42:00] You don't know this. people, right? But you feel bad. This is bad. This is not nice. Uh, when, when, when a visitor come to Morocco, it's because they love Morocco. We don't want to, we don't want our guys to make anyone hate it.

There's many nice, 97 percent of Moroccans are very nice. We don't want everybody to look like bad because of one or two horrible. Yeah.

AZDEAN: . So, Sam, I know you have a lot of stuff to say, so I'm gonna go after you next, please.

SAM: Yeah, I just, I just want to mention a very short story because, um, I remember it, it was like, uh, 2011, a lady from a riad called me, Sam, could you just please come because someone is just calling me and A lady, she speaks Spanish. I don't know what she is, what she is saying. Okay. I said, okay, I will be there. Then I went to the riad and, uh, okay. Lady called me on WhatsApp. She gave [00:43:00] me the phone. Okay. Hola, como estas? and she said my name, Hassan. Estas en carcel? I said, who is Hassan? What's going on? What's wrong? She said that Hassan, her boyfriend, or her friend, or her love, is in jail.

AZDEAN: Oh, my goodness.

SAM: I said, okay, just hold on. She said, okay, um, I will send you his name.

His full name is Aklen and I will send you his phone number, because, his friend said that Hassan is in jail, and he needs money.

AZDEAN: Oh, wow.

SAM: I said, okay, okay, just give me, uh, a few minutes, and then I will, tell the lady to call you back. to explain to you what's happened.

Okay, to and I called that number. I said, uh, hello, hello. Who is this? Who is this? Please, I just, I just want to ask about Hassan. if he's okay. Why he is in jail? what's going on? What's happened? He said, no, Hassan is not in jail. He is in a tour. I

AZDEAN: Oh, wow.

SAM: No, he's, he's in a tour.

He's, he's [00:44:00] driving. And I'm, I'm his friend. How can I help you? I said, okay, thank you very much. I don't need any help. Then I blocked his phone number because he will keep bothering me. Okay, I blocked him. I called back the lady, I said, What's going on? Oh, no, uh, he's my boyfriend for years, and I gave him the money, and I bought him a car,

AZDEAN: Oh, wow.

SAM: and now his friend telling me that he is in jail because he needs money.

I said, no, no, no, Hassan is not in jail, he's on a tour in Morocco. And he is in good health. She said, what, you serious? His friend told me that. Because I speak with him in Berber, and he trusted me, he told me the truth.

AZDEAN: Wow.

SAM: And I was really shocked. And then she said, Oh, muchas gracias, senor. I, I really appreciate, your help.

Now, she just discovered that she, he just

AZDEAN: Scam.

SAM: scammed by him. he want to get rid of her. [00:45:00] Then he, he invented this story of, going to jail and he needs more money from her.

AZDEAN: No, so it's always the same story if you look at all these cams, there's, there's like a script This is how it starts. This is the middle of it. And then the end it's almost similar to each one

SAM: yes.

AZDEAN: Thank you for your point. It's really, really good point. Thank you for sharing that. So I know there's so many other stories that, um, hopefully we'll have the time to get through, uh, So we're going to circle back to Siham. I know you have something else that you want to share with the audience, but this story is a little different than the first ones that you have shared with us. 

SIHAM: Yeah. Thank you. So, uh, I still have, uh, actually not one, but two stories that are the difference that they are like new. They are currently continue to have happening, you know?

AZDEAN: are in the middle of those stories. They are. They have not ended yet. Okay.

SIHAM: Yes. Yes. So one of them is a woman, the same, but one is a man. Okay. So let's start with the woman because, uh, [00:46:00] she is also a very good, or maybe let's say she was, a very good friend of mine.

Um, guess that Hussein also knows her because, uh, we met one time, I introduced him to her and she's a very nice person again, because I mean, all the people are talking about are actually nice. That's the problem. They're just nice. They are nice. They are innocent. she was getting divorced when she came to Morocco for the first time.

That was like almost two years ago. She came for the first time. She was, looking about, a nice, interesting trip to get out of the sadness of all what is. Uh, where she was living, uh, she was thinking about Morocco, but none of her friends wanted to join. Some of them was working, some of them didn't like the idea to come here, so whatever.

she really wanted to come, so she was looking and searching about anyone that can organize her trip and help her, guide her around. Because she was a bit worried and never been [00:47:00] here. That's what she said to me afterward. How did find me? She was looking for a woman tour leader that can help her organize her trip.

So She found me, it was very fast. She asked me if she can come, I said okay. She asked my number, I gave my number. She very fast called me on WhatsApp. She was, I mean from the way how she very fast called me and started to talk about everything, for me it was like two things. Is it a very innocent person or is it a scam? Because these scams also can happen for us also as

AZDEAN: of course. Yeah. Businesses.

SIHAM: businesses are, I mean, organizing any trips or tours. This could happen for the host as it can happen for the client or the visitor. So I was, just giving myself a little opportunity to analyze the personality.

Then very quickly I could feel that she's that innocent,

AZDEAN: Oh, wow.

SIHAM: transparent. I mean, all the suggestions I was giving her, she was like, she [00:48:00] liked them. She liked the trip. She liked the itinerary. She liked the accommodation. Everything was very smooth and nice. And I felt how much innocent she was because she did not really search about anything I was giving her.

And then I was inside me thinking, Oh, I'm so happy that this person contacted me and she did not. meet any

AZDEAN: scammers.

SIHAM: unprofessional, uh, tour leaders or how they agencies, whatever that they are like so many now. So, I provided her with one day, trip in Morocco. Based in Marrakech. We did a couple of day trips and stuff. It was during not last Ramadan, the Ramadan before. So now it's two years, obviously, uh, was Ramadan. So it was very special atmosphere.

I was introducing her Marrakech in Ramadan and, invited her a couple of times to my place. I mean, it was just so cool. So all the experience actually made her love in Morocco and very quickly she decided to be back in [00:49:00] like less than two months. She was back. And this time she was asking me to, organize a special trip for her 50th birthday.

AZDEAN: 50th birthday. Oh,

SIHAM: Yes, that birthday she was, planning to have it as a very big party back to her country. and at that time I was just started to know that she is. An important person in her country, okay? So, she was inviting many people to the party, it was like hundreds of people, it was a quite big party. So she told me that she decided to cancel that big party and come back to Morocco, and she wanted me to organize her birthday trip, because she, for the first time felt that she was happy.

She liked the weather. She liked the people. She liked the culture. She likes the care. She felt everything like real. She likes the vibes, the energy in here. So I did like my [00:50:00] best to organize such a very unique and nice trip for her. birthday, the day or the night of her birthday, uh, it was in a fancy restaurant providing, um, shows beside the dinner, like body dancers, music, things like that.

So, she loved all the things, the party and things. When we were leaving, she told me that the guy was at the entry of that fancy restaurant. is very handsome and she wanted to take a picture with him. He was tall, he was beautiful. She stopped to take a picture and very fast, he asked her to, get his Instagram so she can, share the picture

AZDEAN: I see. Okay.

SIHAM: That's all what happened that night. Afterward It took like three days after we did a couple of other trips and then she left Morocco. Everything was normal and then a few weeks later we were talking because we became friends. [00:51:00] she was telling me that she was in contact with that guy that was a guard, security guard.

she started to talk about how nice he is and things like that. She was 50 and he was 26 years old. He's from the desert as well Few weeks later again, every time she would talk about him She started to tell me the type of stories that I mentioned before

AZDEAN: Wow. Same stories.

SIHAM: He's coming from a poor family he's working hard to support his family, he did not go to school because he needed to work very early, all the stories that I've heard tons and tons of times before.

So for me, when she was telling me this, And feeling sorry of him, my analysis was quite different than what she was saying. But I've never been able to tell her this, because also the way how to tell it was like, Well, I have also two ways, because things happen. Probably it's love, probably it's a nice person.

I [00:52:00] don't have the right to say he's not, right? So I was, I was like listening just to her stories. And okay, I could not say anything about it, it took. a few months, like maybe two, one or two months, and then she was telling me that she's, gonna be back.

AZDEAN: Oh, wow.

SIHAM: Okay. She was back. Uh, for the third time I organized her trip, but this time she asked me for a day free or a free day.

That free day, she wanted to meet that person for sure. She met that person. After that night, day, because he actually works the night, it was a day, she met him the day, then she was just coming back with like, full of love,

AZDEAN: Oh, wow.

SIHAM: I love him, he's nice, he's sweet, okay, after that trip, every time I call or she calls me, it was like more and more romantic.

He's always nicer stories Few weeks later. She started to tell me that he's suffering [00:53:00] the job in the night It's quite difficult. He's not well He's renting a room with other friends that works Uh, the day and he has only the day to sleep because he works the night so they are making noise and they Don't let him sleep.

So he is Struggling with that. Okay. I was I knew what he was preparing her for I knew

AZDEAN: You've been

SIHAM: I could I could not tell her. But actually it happened even before she talked about it again. One time we were calling and she said that she was already sending him money to rent an apartment by his

AZDEAN: By himself.

SIHAM: Yes.

SAM: Wow.

SIHAM: And actually the place where he was renting the apartment, it was quite fancy. Not

SAM: Oh my God. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

SIHAM: So there the story started. There I started to feel Danger for her. And I knew since started to pay for something he is, he would never let her go.[00:54:00] 

So. I started slowly sometimes to tell her few things about stories happened. I didn't want to talk about him specifically, but just I tried to open a little her eyes about few things that could happen. like not give money, you know, I was trying to ask about this, not to give money. What happened is that somehow that person felt that I was telling her this.

AZDEAN: Hmm.

SIHAM: So then it turns out to be that person started to say bad things about me to her.

AZDEAN: So basically what you're saying is you didn't want to tell your friend directly what's going on to her, what's happening, because you've seen this, you've witnessed it in the past and it's the same trend. Uh, the road that she's going eventually it's going to lead to her being heartbroken. It's going to lead to her Giving away or losing a lot of money. You felt you don't have the right to tell her as a friend directly So you just start saying hey, [00:55:00] let me tell you a story or a friend of mine This is what happened to her and this but she was not listening But then the gentleman find out that you're in the picture and now he's trying to get rid of you

SIHAM: Well, so I started sometimes to hear things like she was like joking, telling me that, but I knew it was serious. Like telling me, Oh, I think that he is jealous of you. He would never be jealous of me because I am her friend. Right? So for me, this, Gave me the sign that he's maybe trying to tell her something about me he shows her that he is not comfortable that she sees me a lot Because he felt that I am

AZDEAN: You're

SIHAM: preparing her to anything that could happen right

SAM: You're warning. You're warning her. Yeah.

SIHAM: Yes, so what happened for the next trips? She would never book anything with me,

AZDEAN: Oh, wow.

SIHAM: that I used to organize for her, she doesn't do it with me anymore. [00:56:00] So she's telling me, Oh, I'm coming on that this date. I am going to stay in that hotel before she was asking me, like, where can I stay? And things like that. So this time she started to do things.

I know she won't be doing them by her own because she was still like, don't know anything in Morocco because I've been with her all the time. So I I knew that it was him guiding her, right? What to do, where to stay. she would never book even transportation, with me. Because he was renting a car, a fancy car, when she is here, driving her around.

Okay, so it started to be serious, and serious, and serious. the last trip, she was, in Morocco. he took her, it was like his vacation, so he took her to a tour. That tour to the desert. She still didn't visit the desert yet. We did, like, the Agafai Desert, which is close to Marrakech, uh, because of the tight time that she had at previous [00:57:00] times.

and she, we were, me together, we were planning to visit the desert, Sahara Desert. And she was, like, looking forward to visit the Sahara Desert, to gather and have fun. So, she decided suddenly to do the Sahara Desert tour with him. Okay? I was already out, right? On that tour, it was the magic, Taking her to Tinghir, To his family, see his sister, his parents, taking her to buy stuff there and there, and suddenly being queen and king of the desert. That's it. That's how, how, how, how it was called, right? like for us it looks like a joke, right?

But it, it was very serious. I mean, when my friend was telling me those things, I could feel the love coming out of her eyes and feelings full of nice energy, nice memories for that trip. That for me, I knew them, I heard them hundreds of times, but it was completely new for [00:58:00] her.

SAM: The beginning of the scam. Yeah.

SIHAM: Yeah, was making me feeling bad and every time I was feeling more bad.

So I wanted to do something before it's Also taking long and,

AZDEAN: Yeah, too late.

SIHAM: yeah, and using her more. So I was feeling like it's a responsibility. I have to say this to her. So, the opportunity was, following visit after that tour that they together did to the desert. we were having dinner, The dinner was always, almost of the time, talking about him, how nice he is, how handsome he is, and all this stuff. But then I discovered, afterward that I was there for that dinner to, take some few pictures and videos to show to friends and family back home. Because I was the reason for her to come back to Morocco. She, she, she was a

AZDEAN: you, basically.

SIHAM: kind of using me because I just noticed after the third [00:59:00] time, I noticed when we're on dinner, she's always like, here I am, this is how, right?

AZDEAN: Yeah.

SIHAM: I did not like that, So, I decided to just tell her. what I have inside about it, and what is my, my opinion about it, and what is my fear about it. And I said, okay, that's the time. I don't want to be a bad friend. I am a good friend. It is a responsibility to tell you, , I just started to talk about Amy's stories. She understood what I was start to talk about. Then she told me. Okay, My friend, I am 20 years older than you, so I know much more than you know, my experience in life is 20 years. other than yours. So I know what I'm doing. I love him. I'm so happy. even what you're saying to me happened. I will be okay because one hour, [01:00:00] yes, because one hour of the love he's giving me now is going to be enough for the rest of life.

AZDEAN: Oh my goodness. Wow.

SIHAM: I was shocked. I said, sorry. I'm so sorry. I will never talk about this again. That's all what I said from that day to now. 

And I'm waiting only for the day that and maybe, again, crying or saying to me anything because of the things you heard before. I'm preparing for that day. I know it's coming,

SAM: This story,

SIHAM: but since it's still nice, since it's still giving, booking, fancy hotels with two rooms, yeah, with two rooms.

AZDEAN: Okay. Let me ask you the, the question is, this is really, really important because, The reason why you said two rooms, can you explain to us how the system is in Morocco versus one room there?

You know, obviously they are a couple. they are not married yet, but in Morocco, why can't they just get one room versus two rooms? 

SIHAM: So, in hotels, you [01:01:00] can't rent a room. If you're an unmarried couple, let's say, unmarried couples cannot rent one room in a hotel. It's illegal. Okay? So, for these cases, yeah, for these cases that people will have to book two rooms. In hotels, like, each name is in a different Room, so they are legal and then of course one room is going to be empty while they are in one.

AZDEAN: Thank you for clarifying that.

SIHAM: Mm hmm

SAM: If you are a Moroccan, half Moroccan, for example, a Moroccan, uh, gentleman with a, with a traveler, a foreigner traveler, you can't book same room in the hotel.

Same things for women and men, 

AZDEAN: But if you're, you're a tourist, you're fine.

SAM: you are a tourist, yeah, yeah, even you are not married, you are just friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, you can enjoy your, yeah, your stay.

AZDEAN: Thank you for that. That's, that's really important. Thank you for clarifying it. 

So, back to you Sih am, can you share one last story with us, please? I know this one is going to be different. maybe surprised. But I want you to be as transparent [01:02:00] as possible and share as much as you can. Please do not hold back.

SIHAM: Thank you. So, uh, well, the story, I don't have a lot of details to say about, but it's just the main thing, like the fact, the first, different thing is actually, it's, uh, about a man, but it's a kind of the same way. now we are talking, about a man with another man, Moroccan.

AZDEAN: So gay man.

SIHAM: Yes. So, this person for me, looks like very, uh, also very nice-hearte d person. He's a little naïve. I say naïve because, his pocket and phone was stolen like three times.

AZDEAN: Oh my goodness.

SIHAM: he's coming back to Marrakech, they are stealing his things. And that's what we were saying at the beginning that, that people really can, can analyze you.

Yeah. Yeah. No, you, yeah. When you look like not really like aware about the things about the culture, They're going to follow you in many ways. So, this person, got [01:03:00] stolen three times, or maybe more, and then he decided that Essaouira is less So, he started to go to Essaouira a few times, there he met that person.

AZDEAN: guy.

SIHAM: Yes, , he's keeping coming, to see that guy. And what I heard yesterday from him that he was coming back because he's helping him fixing and getting his visa.

to join him back to his country in Europe. so it's getting also serious and we can, we can clearly see here. The reason is leaving Morocco and this is also a way to be loved and, uh, and just calm those people with, with those emotions.

AZDEAN: So basically what you're saying, Siham, this young man in Essaouira is just using the gentleman as a ticket to get out of the country, to get out of Morocco for whatever reason, you know, just better life doesn't matter. and this is how the [01:04:00] scam basically is unfolding.

Now we, we've talked about this happening to women in several cases, but this is a little bit different than this is unique. So when we talk about, I'm going to veer off a little bit of the subject and come back to it. So when we talk about. Morocco, and then when we talk about the gay community, and LGBT, a lot of people when they go to Morocco, they are really shocked.

there's women together, there's men together, it's a lot more common than people think.

The people, they have the perception of Morocco, if you're gay, this will happen to you. None of it is true. You go for a stroll in the square, 10 minutes, you'll probably see a dozen of gay men. Gay women. it's very common. So, I'm going to come back to your story, Siham. So just wanted to give a little bit of idea, a little bit of, you know, hopefully changing the perception for a lot of people think and believe what Morocco is versus the true reality.

Um, there are places that you can go, there's just gay people. 

SIHAM: by the way, just yesterday told me that he's getting many messages and requests from other guys. And he [01:05:00] said to me that they were very young. He said, they are very young. I don't know what they want from me.

AZDEAN: Yeah. He's very

SIHAM: talking, he was talking about a 19 and a 20 years old.

AZDEAN: Yes. 

SIHAM: this is 56 about, and the guy in Essaouira is 24.

AZDEAN: uh, so there's, there's

SIHAM: always at the average.

SAM: God. Yeah. The same. gap for talking. Yes. 

SIHAM: So, I don't have a lot of. details like how it happened or how it started

AZDEAN: Or how they

SIHAM: have any idea how how it is going to end but all what I know is that person is really in love you know and if each time he's in Morocco talking to me he's talking about that person and how nice he is and that he miss him like now yesterday he spent like Three days in Marrakech, and he is going to go to Essaouira for a week, to spend time with his, boyfriend.

but this time also he was bringing two of his friends and mom to introduce them to his boyfriend.

AZDEAN: [01:06:00] Hmm, so this is really serious. it's serious, yeah.

SIHAM: Yeah, yeah.

AZDEAN: Wow. It sounds like a love story, hopefully.

SIHAM: yeah. And again, also, I received the messages from him asking me if I can find a job for his boyfriend because he cannot. Yes, I have those messages as well. He said, can you please find him a job? And then I said, what can he do? What is his studies for or qualifications? He said, oh, he has a diploma in, as a plumber.

He has a, a diploma in tourism. I think cuisine or something is that, but he cannot find a job. And, uh, he needs help. And, I am almost over with my money. I'm sending him money. So it means also, he's sending him money because he's pretending he doesn't have work and he needs help and he was a kind of tired maybe of sending money and trying to get him a job, but I knew that it's not hard to find a job if you have this type of diplomas in Marrakech, especially [01:07:00] because we really needed these two things if you're working for tourism, as a cook, if you have a diploma, yeah.

Or if you have a diploma as a plumber, you're gonna definitely get

AZDEAN: Yeah, yeah. Especially in Sawra instead of Marrakech. Yeah, he's from

SIHAM: it's a weird as well. So it's a bit weird to hear this.

AZDEAN: Those are all red flags. So, wow.

SAM: So he is using him like a bridge to get out of the country and to go to, to live abroad. And then we will get out of him. Same, same stories. Yeah.

AZDEAN: Yeah. It's, it's really, really unfortunate. 

SIHAM: I just want to say a small sentence for all travelers to Morocco and especially, especially women. Please be careful. Morocco is so beautiful. we want you just to have an amazing time here. Moroccans are in general very nice and friendly, but please be careful.

There's always signs, you know, just be clever, prepare and never send money to anyone for any reason. There's always solutions. Okay? As adults, we are responsible about ourselves. We all can have [01:08:00] hard times. We all sometimes, and a lot of times, need And doesn't mean that we need to ask someone to send me money.

Why I ask someone to send me money, you know? It's clear. It's a scam. If someone is asking send money, you know, it's just be, aware of that.

AZDEAN: Thank you. Thank you, Sam.

SAM: Yeah. scums, as I said in the other episodes, uh, it's not only in Morocco, it's worldwide, but we just want you to be aware and not in, this kind of scams that you can avoid.

we want to you, telling you the stories that's happened, just to be aware, of what's happening and what's going on. Because we do want you to visit the country and put it in your bucket list it's an amazing and incredible country that you have to see at least once in your life.

SIHAM: Yeah. And, and, and sorry, last thing to don't be a hundred percent negative. I have a friend who had [01:09:00] met someone from Morocco. They got married and he, uh, went to live in the country where she lives, and it has been already like five or six years ago, and we're still in touch, and she's still saying the same thing about him.

He's a nice person. So we are not Talking about, there is no love stories that can happen, or that the age could be a border, right? It's good, things can happen. There's always good people, so we don't, we, we are not saying the opposite. But, the most of the cases, it's a scam.

Okay? There is exceptions. emotions, we can feel them, and we never mix up emotions and financial help. Okay? If you love someone or thinking or feeling that you're loving someone or that one is loving you, just say, I don't have money. Okay, let's see. What will happen? It's gonna take a few time and you're gonna feel it.

If it's changing, then it was about money.

AZDEAN: I

SIHAM: That's the only one way to know. Yeah.

AZDEAN: I totally agree. 

SAM: Yes.

AZDEAN: this [01:10:00] has been incredible. We have reached the end of this episode. Siham and Sam, I'm so thankful for your willingness to share your experience with us.

I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to learn. from you today.

SAM: Always a

AZDEAN: you so much. Thank you.

SIHAM: you

SAM: Thank you.

AZDEAN: you are amazing. and I'm so glad and grateful that, my last trip to Morocco, I finally met Siham and we talked about it.

So Siham and Sam, they've known each other for a long time. I'm the newbie in a way, and we really, really appreciate. You, we appreciate what you do, day in and day out, you're very strong, independent woman, and, this has been incredible, thank you so much, talk to you soon,

SIHAM: you. Thanks for you too.