Read Me: A scam some people don't seem aware of.

[StageLeft]

I've had this "scam" attempted on me, and my parents (by the same guy at different times coincedentally), and I more recently have heard it about it from other people. If you see a guy come up to you and ask you for some money - perhaps $5 or $10 for "gas", DO NOT give it to him. The first time I was approached by such a person it was for $10. He was out of money and had to make it to work. He didn't look like a bum and he was a very good actor. I went away feeling almost like a selfish cheap ass.

That is, until he tried the same scam on me a week later. I spoke to my parents about it and they actually had give him money. Scarpozzi was recounting this story that had happened to a somebody he knew (interestingly the person said no and then was later approached by the same scam arist).

Moral of this is: some times these people really look like genuine non-scuzbuckets down on their luck. If you ever see somebody on the street asking for something and it starts off with "I'm not a bum or a beggar, but - " that's a telltale sign that the person is out to scam you.

Don't fall for the gas trick! I once fell for the "bus trick" ("Hey I'm down on my luck, no money. I'm not a bum but I need some change to get home." - and yes it was a scam because 10 min later I saw him attempting it to somebody else), and regret it even now!

 

[LikeLinus]

About 2 months ago we were out and about eating lunch on a saturday. I went to get some gas and some lady walked up saying they were from out of town and they needed some money to get gas to get back home. Of course i declined and she walked off. Well when she walked back to her car (with her boyfriend/husband) in it and drove off, I noticed they had Davidson county plates.....the same county we were in Gotta love people like that.

 

[Spamela]

drug money, pure & simple.

the only difference between beggars is how badly the monkey's chewing on their neck.

 

[luv2chill]

heh

l2c

 

[HappyPuppy]

I was approached by a cleanly dressed woman at the grocery store a couple of weeks ago who asked for a dollar for the bus so she could get home. I figured it was a scam, but on the off chance that it wasn't and she was sincere, I gave her a buck. I figure a buck or two a year isn't going to hurt me and sometimes people do get caught in circumstances where their only hope is the kindness of another.

 

[Booster]

Nobody gave me nothing. Now let those people try to make me sorry for them and give them even 2 cents! Out of luck! Hahahahaaa...

 

[Vette73]

If they REALLY need gas money do one of 2 things...

1. Tell them you have a gas can and will put some gas in there car, just ask them to point it out.
2. Tell them you will give them a ride to there house where they should have money(or drive them to a ATM)

If they really need help they will say OK, if not they will get mad

 

[Amused]

Yep, there are "professional" pan handlers who do this act. Down south, I used to see them at malls all the time ("my car broke down" was the most popular ruse). I haven't seen one here, though.

 

[jjones]

If I had a nickel for every bum that approached me for money, well............... I'd have a bunch of nickels.

 

[z0mb13]

YES!! someone actually had done this to me....

but it was kinda different

I was at the AMC van ness in san francisco, an asian (maybe vietnamese?) approached me and told me a story that his friends left him there, and he needed some money for taking the BART (he was wearing kind of a group jacket)

The first time I gave him some money, but the following week he was also there and he asked my friend for money again, and he had the same story!!!

 

[brxndxn]

My friend and I were outside Walmart when some lady came up to us asking for gas money and saying crap like "God Bless."

So my friend gives her $10. Then while we were putting the stuff we bought into my car, we see her drive off in a car that's better than my friend's car.

I hate Gainesville because you can't even get passed two red-lights without being asked for money. I really hate when I have the window closed when a charity or bum knocks on my window.

First of all, I am a college student and it would be wrong to donate my parent's money.
Second, my parents donate A LOT.
Third, if I were to donate, it would be to a group that I possitively knew was legit - and I would get a record of it. None of this throw your change in a bucket to who knows where crap.

 

[bmacd]

There is a group of black men who walk around in the middle of the streets right by where i work. They usually have ties and slacks on, and they're there ALL DAY LONG! It's the same group almost everyday and make you feel so guilty when you don't give them money, but they're a bunch of con artists. They started "pan handling" right after 9/11. I donated money to the fire department and got a nice little American flag. I felt pretty good that day...then these guys come on the street and i'll bet they have some fat cash saved up. If i didn't have a full time job, you'd better bet your ass i'd be out there with them asking for money in the streets.

-=bmacd=-

 

[MrBond]

I've been approached by the same guy 3-4 different times back in Toledo. All but one of the times, he was in the same area, the other time he was about 10 miles out of his panhandling zone.

This woman came up to use once at the grocery store, first thing she said "I'm not a bum, I'm not on drugs, I'm not going to try and rob you" then she went into the story about how she had just moved to Toledo from Georgia and needed money to pay for childcare for her kids. We told her that there was a place in toledo (gave her the name) that did free child care for parents who couldn't afford it while they worked, then drove off. I've seen her working the area around the campus since then, so I let my friends know about the scam.

I hate to sound like a terrible person, but I don't give money to panhandlers, regardless of their apperance. I donate to United Way, and there's lots of other agencies out there they can go to if they need help.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I hate to sound like a terrible person, but I don't give money to panhandlers, regardless of their apperance. I donate to United Way, and there's lots of other agencies out there they can go to if they need help.

Exactly, and these people work even harder to scam you during the holday season, cyncially cashing in on "goodwill towards men" and stealing money away from real charities.

Also be careful about sending $10-20 to some charity you've never heard of just because you get a letter from them. Aside from the total scams there are many legal-but-unethical "charities" and fundraisers-for-charities that keep most of the money to pay big salaries instead of doing any good works. Try at least a google search before writing a check.

 

[RossMAN]

This happens to us all the time in downtown Portland near Pioneer Courthouse Square, Burnside or Old Town.

99% of the time it's for either booze or drugs. Sometimes if they appear genuine and say it's for food, if I have some food with me I'll give it to them. If they refuse then I usually eat it in front of them ... one time I took a woman into McDonald's and bought her a Big Mac meal, then I discreetly left.

 

[gwlam12]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
If they REALLY need gas money do one of 2 things...

1. Tell them you have a gas can and will put some gas in there car, just ask them to point it out.
2. Tell them you will give them a ride to there house where they should have money(or drive them to a ATM)

If they really need help they will say OK, if not they will get mad

evenif i really needed money, i wouldn't get into a car with a stranger there are other people to ask

and u shouldnt be letting a stranger into your car either

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
This happens to us all the time in downtown Portland near Pioneer Courthouse Square, Burnside or Old Town.

99% of the time it's for either booze or drugs. Sometimes if they appear genuine and say it's for food, if I have some food with me I'll give it to them. If they refuse then I usually eat it in front of them ... one time I took a woman into McDonald's and bought her a Big Mac meal, then I discreetly left.

I help when I can..

 

[Vic]

Heh... my 2 favorite stories about panhandlers.
One of my older brothers is a contractor. In the morning on the way to the jobsite, he'll see those "Will work for food" guys on the freeway ramps, and he'll tell 'em to hop in the truck, he can use the help and they'll get paid in cash at the end of the day. Not one has ever taken him up on his offer. They're lazy bums who want free money, not work.
The other day a co-worker told me about her recent encounter with a bum downtown. He said he wanted money to buy some food, so instead of giving him the money, she went into a nearby store and bought him a sandwich. When given the sandwich, the bum went into a rage, smashing the sandwich with his foot, kicking it down the street, and calling her all sorts of profane names.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Wow....I've never heard of this scam before. Thanks man...I'll watch for it.

 

[kt]

Well, actually.. there are some people who are for real. That makes me even angrier that these con artists make me more skeptical in trying to help people who really are in distress.

 

[silverpig]

Since I rarely carry much cash (and if I do it's usually 20's), all I do is say:


"Do you take Visa?"

 

[ReiAyanami]

if u support stupid people, they're will just be more and more of them, which is why welfare wont work.

down here at UCSD, a black guy knocks on our door in the evening and wants us to buy candy from him to support him thru college, being a fellow college student i felt sympathetic and bought $10 of candy that cost him $2 or less at kmart. sux to pay 500% infaltion more than you should, reminds me of colleges textbooks and tuition.

and also some middle aged white guy a week later came around selling these certificates for car maintenance for $60 for a piece of flimsy glossed cardboard that we dont even know was legit, not that it mattered although i wish i had a car in the first place.

later we talked to friends and found out those people were most likely scouting out our place to see if its worth robbing and never to answer the door to strangers again, fortunately our living room was complete void of furniture or anything worth stealing, since we're college students and the dean has all our money in the trunk of her new e-class

 

[TranceNation]

if a girl walked up to me and she was cute, i'd make a deal

 

[N8Magic]

Heh, there is a guy here who has needed money to get to Sudbury for about the last three years now. It must be an expensive ticket.

 

[poopaskoopa]

I've had someone ask me for $2.75(note that it's not a whole number! ) because he needed to buy some transmission fluid or something.