12/11/2025
Just to share my two cents on this "strange hypnosis encounter"
1. Generally speaking, this couple is carrying a baby and this lowers the guard of anyone they approach. There were a couple other cases where a woman carrying an infant approaches someone and there is a scent which makes the victim fall into a trance-like state. So... a woman carrying a baby can lower the victim's defenses and make them more open to suggestions
2. The other guy cries for help, shows his distress etc. By showing that he need help for something after the infant has reduce the victim's defenses, it further opens the victim to more vulnerability. If i recall right, the other example given above, the lady carrying the infant approach an older man with a request for help to carry her baby or take some food from her bag for the baby or ask for directions. And in this case, the man show his bottles of wines and claim his bar closed and need help to sell the wines etc. Same MO, same process.
3. The third thing which seals the deal, assuming the scammers are not using anything fancy, like no chemicals to induce a trance-like state for open suggestions, this third factor is the victim themselves. Whether the victim is already in an open trance-like state, open to suggestions. Here's the thing, everyone will go through such a trance a couple of times throughout the day. And the scammers will be asking many people, and see who fits the profile to fall into their scam, or trap. Otherwise, only one such case at Paragon? Ok fine i didn't google to check if got many, but yea. if got many, will have a lot more especially since the scammers have many bottles to sell too. Yes, apparently the shopkeeper know about it since got other victims, but we have no time frame, if its 1 victim a day, or 1 victim a week etc.
So yea... if you want to protect yourself from such scams, beware of woman carrying babies asking for help in this example. Other types of scams will require other types of protective awareness.
He says he handed over cash to a random couple at the car park, and didn’t even know why.