I did that once at a gas station, guy said he ran out of gas and his girlfriend took all his money. Me not knowing any better, I gave the guy $10 for gas to get him where he needed to go. Needless to say, I watched the dude walk down the street, take out his wallet and saw he took two $20's out of it with the $10 I just gave him, then he got into a SUV and drove away with his girlfriend in it. Never letting anybody scam me like that again.
I saw a scam like this on a history channel program about con artists. The guy would have a broken cell phone and say I didn't bring cash and my dropped my phone and I need to get back home for whatever reason and ask for 20 bucks for a cab. Made me think if I was homeless I'd save up to buy a decent suit and pull this on people rather than just begging. Pull it off five times and I'm set for a hotel, a shower, and a couple meals. Then do it all again tomorrow. Hell I might start doing it now, only I'd probably have to clean myself up a bit to pull it off.
Thing is, when you're homeless and desperate, the short-term solution of forgetting your problems in a haze of cheap drugs and alcohol > the long-term solution of saving your scraps for something that might not even pan-out.
@FritzDude: Hey! Alright that was the guy from the show I was talking about!
@Three0neFive: While that might be true for many homeless people, in this theoretical scenario where I'm homeless I don't think it would be true for me. And hell maybe I'd steal the suit and save myself the trouble of saving up.
There was a deaf man who used to hang around the campus where I went to college and try to get money from people. He would ask for help getting somewhere and use the communication barrier to act increasingly frustrated, frantic, and desperate until the person gave him money so he could take a cab. Eventually he chose me to pull this on, but what he didn't know is that I know sign language. It really pissed him off when I answered his question and gave him directions to the train and told him where to transfer and get where he was going.
I've gotten the fast-talking con a few times, and I've decided on a simple policy of not giving out cash. I can offer charitable help in other ways, but I just can't believe these stories, regardless of how convincing they may be in the moment.
@Pox22: But that's just not as fun. Theoretically. Although I guess I'm banking on not getting shot for trying to steal a suit. That would be the least fun. But who gets shot for shoplifting these days? It's not like I'd run into the suit store with a gun and try and take it that way. If anything if caught I'd try to play it off as accidental, and worse case I'd spend a few days in jail. (not prison, jail)
Really I wouldn't even need a suit. I'd just have to not look homeless, and look presentable and trustworthy. On second thought this plan might not work.
You just helped a junkie get his fix. Their tactics are ever changing but I've noticed an increase in using children in their ruse. Never trust anyone asking for money. The child thing is for added sympathy.
One time I guy came up to me with two suit cases and said he need money for a taxi to get back to his friends house. He said he'd give me the two suit cases and he'd come back with the money ad his friends car to get them. I was at a mall so when I started looking for a way around this creepo he got mad at me for not looking at him while he talked. I just said no I got class in 5mins sorry got to go and walked into another store quickly.
Being in Chicago, I hear bullshit scams like this every day. Especially at Union Station, people always say that they got robbed or left their wallet on the train and need to get back to such-and-such suburb to get their kids. Somone wearing alligator skin dress shoes had the audacity to pull one of those scams on me. its like dude, I can see the Gucci inscribed on your girlfriends purse, shes standing right the fuck behind you.
In the grand scheme of things its good to give people who need help money if you can afford it, I certainly do. But where it becomes a problem for me is when they lie about it. Be honest if you're trying to get money from me. If you want it for a fifth of whiskey, just tell me... I love whiskey too.
I have done something similar with a friend, but felt like an idiot as I was doing it and after, but it also had nothing to do with money. One time it was snowing, and this guy had hit someone else's car since he slid into it, and there was a big dent in it, but since he was stuck and couldn't leave because of the how much snow was on the ground and how icy it was, my friend and I had helped push his car as he got in and tried to drive off when he had asked us to. He said "I'll come back later and tell them." But I know he was in a hurry to just get the fuck out of there so no one noticed it. So, in sense, that kind of thing did happen, but the scamming part didn't. I told my friend right then and there that I do believe we just let him leave. That was back in 07 or 08 I think. Should have gotten his license and told the people that lived at the house.
I'd never give money to anyone thats up in my face. Including this one street magician who approached me and said "Hey, do you like magic?" and I replied "Uhh, I'm good thanks." After saying that, he began to perform his voodoo, etc with cards and sleeves and the whole shebang. Since he was standing in my way, I paused to watch some of it. I shrugged, said "cool" and then walked past him, as he looked on in anger that I hadn't given him money for his unwanted 'performance'. Good times.
Had he really locked himself of his apartment he only would have had to call the rental office and the on call maintenance man would have unlocked it. How much did he swindle you for?
The only time I've ever given money to a stranger was to some homeless looking dude that asked me for beer money outside of a gas station. Dude was honest.
so this guys plan was to leave his 2 year old even longer, you should have just called the cops. Tell him to break down the door than get his own cash and pay someone to fix door.
Its getting pretty ridiculous in Tennessee with the begging and panhandling. Our state government actually legalized begging provided that the person get a license and what not and display it when begging. Technically its not begging because they require the person to wear a vest with the credentials on it and sell these little newspapers funnily enough named "The Contributor". They aren't allowed to ask for money or really talk to you. The problem is that its increased the amount of non-licensed begging by 100x. There are almost no major intersections or off ramps that dont have people begging for money at them.
I gave a guy $5 when I was in Florida fora bus. Don't really care what he spent it on though. I also gave a guy $20 online because he wanted the Gears DLC and I enjoyed playing with him in the past. He seemed to be a nice person and I had the money so I gave it to him.
I should save my money more, I give to others too much.
I've had people ask me for money, and when I said I had nothing on me, had the balls to inquire if they could accompany me to a bank machine so I could take out money for them. Ah, no Peg.
I work near a homeless shelter in the city so everyday I get at least 20 different people asking me for some spare change and i'm always happy to spare anything that I could in fact spare. When I get paid, I like to put away $50 - $100 bucks for the homeless near the shelter. I try to help mostly women and anyone I see with a kid, but I don't tell them NO based on their gender or situation.
I also don't mind helping a junkie get their next fix either because it's not in my place to ask or to even care about where his money is going. As long as I could help, i'm happy to spare a little something.
If I know anything about con artists, it's that their beginner/short cons usually involve a story with a lot of details to overwhelm the person, even though the coherence of the story doesn't hold up under close scrutiny. You got played son.
Next time, save the cash and use it as toilet paper. It's as much of a waste of money, but at least then you can have a story about how you were so rich at one time that you actually wiped your ass with dollar bills.
What's really strange is that I had locked myself out of my apartment with my 2 year old daughter sleeping inside so I asked this guy for some money so I can take a cab to my mother's house for the key. Good thing my mother lived a few blocks away so I walked there instead. So I ended up using the money to but some meth. Thanks, bro.
You were politely mugged my friend. Always happens where I live, drug addicts hang round the bus or train station ask for 50p because they are short of the cash. Does my head in.
I tend to give money to people if there just honest about it and don't make up a crazy story. The other week a homeless guy asked me for some change so he could get a cup of coffee, so I gave it to him (he did buy the coffee I saw).
Well yah maybe I should just stop being so nice to strangers and I guess you could say that I did get polity mugged, it was at around 12 30 at night and I was by myself and didn't really want to risk him pulling a knife or something, but now I guess I learned my lesson and have some more tips for if it ever happens again. Thanks Dudders
I ran into a few of those types at a train station a while back. Told me he needed the money for a ticket back home and they were stranded, so I just offered to buy him one. He turned around instantly and said no. I wonder why.
Now normally when someone asks me for money I never so much as look in their direction, but this guy was pretty up in my face so I guess I caved and decided to give the money that he was asking for.
There's always that chance he's telling the truth but in the world we live in now
Yes because people from before never would even dream of taking money from someone by guilt-tripping them.
I love the idea that somehow the good old days were safer and people were more honest. It's this stupid little argument people just feel is true and present it as fact with no evidence.
I find it so strange that so many people carry cash on themselves these days! I suppose with the advent of charge-for-withdrawl ATMs, this would be the case...still, I rarely carry cash on me. Most often, the answer is as simple as that truth.
@allworkandlowpay: From where I come from, this is true. People used to be less dodgy and it generally was a safer place to live in. I guess its more of a personal truth. An overgeneralization of my statement I admit, but there really is no need to be snarky *shrugs*
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