Who would have believed?

This a sad and salutary story which may be of considerable interest to the expat community of Doha.

Remember when you first moved overseas, possibly for the first time? You were most likely, if you were lucky, put together on a compound with other expats, possibly even colleagues from your new office and perhaps some of compatriots as well. As the new kid on the block, you would have enjoyed building new and exciting friendships with those whom you were sharing the same expat experience with.

As time passes your friendships flourish and you begin to feel comfortable amongst this new and trusted circle.

However, despite the bon homie, the backslapping and the boisterous golf days, do not be fooled, in fact tread cautiously for here be dragons. Whilst you may think that you share similar values with your new friends - basic honesty, respect and a concern for the welfare of others - you may be about to collide with an unpleasant surprise as the reality dawns that some amongst your new circle are, in fact, nothing short of well-disguised confidence tricksters.

I know of at least one such case, a true story in which an Australian expat, “professional” couple set about to cleverly manipulated the ties that bind to successfully swindle tens of thousands of dollars from “friends”.

With the hand of friendship extended and flashing the warmest of smiles, they sidled up, seeking money, a loan you understand. They were friends; one of them is a colleague, a senior financial regulator to boot so no one queried character or questioned probity or even asked what the money was for. They needed help, they were unimpeachable, highly respected and we were all in this together. Naive? Possibly but why would you question such outwardly honest members of a tight expat community when they held such responsible jobs and enjoyed impressive reputations?

So the money was handed over, cash to tide them over for a couple of months. All is well. The couple of months turn slowly to six but even then suspicions are not aroused because they are ‘friends”.

Then 12 months pass and the message was, be calm, be still, the money is coming. And yet, far from working hard to settle the debt, the debtors appeared to be tranquility itself, serene, unruffled, and enjoying in fact a somewhat gilded existence. They flew first class back home to Australia; they embarked upon exciting (and expensive) European jaunts so as to experience white winters and they continued to live very comfortably whilst deliberately overlooking their obvious financial and ethical obligations.

It was and it remains baffling that an employee of a high profile government backed financial regulator, one which has been expensively assembled by a mob of expats recruited to, in their own words, “introduce world-class standards”, could conceive of actually stealing from friends and colleagues, behaviour which they themselves would, quite rightly, be eager to flag up if exhibited in their professional setting.

And it seems almost other worldly that those employing this individual, when alerted to the unfolding situation, appeared to be so soundly asleep at the wheel that they could not be roused to question why a number of people working within their own organization are owed money by the same couple.

With their credibility and reputation at stake, especially for an institution so prone to trumpeting the need for high-class standards and integrity, one might feasibly anticipate a minimum regard for the ethics underpinning the actions of certain senior employees.

Because whilst nothing is said about this couple, they will continue to lurk, poised to manipulate and corrupt those most precious of commodities, trust and friendship, for their own financial gain.

So beware all you expats in Doha, not every one you meet from Australia will be honest or indeed even understand the basic precepts of integrity. Whilst Doha has attracted the very best of Australian expats a certain quantity of humanoid bacteria has slipped through the net carrying with it a payload of potent toxins.