Some girls are better at the art of conning than even seasoned hustlers like me. I have never seen a dude try to con people through Nigerian scams; you know those emails you get and a chic is like I have an inheritance worth millions but I can’t access the money.

These daughters of discord prey on our vulnerability as men and entice us and after they run off with our dime leaving us with gaping holes in our wallets.

As Chinua Achebe put it, ‘Since men have learnt to shoot without missing, birds have learnt to fly without perching’. I also have become wiser and do not easily fall prey to feminine lies; I can smell the scent of a con-woman from a long way off.

When I was a credit officer at a bank and was residing in Ntinda, a Kampala suburb, I had the misfortune of being swindled of my hard earned cash by a pretty girl, Esther.

I met this vixen at the wedding party of a close friend; and going by the way she was dressed, one would have thought that she was the type of girl that sings in church choirs or a pastor’s daughter. Little did I know that I was in for a lesson.

She introduced herself as a real estate agent based in the Kankungulu and Namanve area. She came off as a trustworthy lady; so I was thrilled with the prospect of mixing business and pleasure.

So, I told her to find me a piece of Land. She agreed and asked for more details on the type of land I wanted to buy. Since I was smitten by her I suggested we meet in at a hotel the following weekend so that we could discuss our deal, though I was actually thinking of getting the whole package. We exchanged business cards.

The following Saturday she gave me a call to confirm our meeting. I suggested a classy restaurant and she said that she would meet me at 8 pm. I had a good day at work and after, I boarded a taxi from town knowing that with the traffic jam I would take same time on the way.

When I got to the restaurant, Esther was already there and was dressed in nice denim jeans and a pink tank top; she gave me a hug, and after a few pleasantries we sat down and ordered for drinks. I told her about my house building plan and the type of plot I needed and she said she had just the right piece of land in Namanve at 4 million.

So the following Monday we hired a cab and headed for Namanve and when we got there, we met an old woman who introduced herself as the owner of the land and the local LC 1 was also present to witness our transaction. We signed an agreement and I handed the old lady 4 million shillings.

The next day I went with a friend to tour the land but I found a lady inspecting the land. She asked me what I wanted and I told her about my transaction, she said she had that piece of land in her name and had never sold it. When I called Esther she answered that ‘Kampala is not buildings.’ I was dumbfounded.