ASTANA, March 17. /TASS/. An unusual pawn shop offering loans in exchange for clients' secrets has opened in Astana, capital of the Central Asian Kazakhstan republic, local media reported on Tuesday.
This so-called "pawn shop of honour" is a kind of private club, allowing admission only at the invitation of fellow members, the Express-K newspaper reported.
The club already has 55 members across the country, signing contracts with clients who can draw money against their personal secrets, the paper said.
In case the money is not returned, the shop is allowed to make the secret public. A "skeleton in the closet" is the most reliable type of collateral, say those running the scheme.