Was it a scam?

nachos

Was walking through Temple Bar to get a taxi last Saturday night at around 3am with a few friends and it was lashing. We were stopped by this girl who was asking for money to get a taxi home to somewhere remote because her friends has abandoned her. What was strange was that she was Irish, well dressed and was fairly cute.

I had a few drinks and I was feeling generous so I gave her a few euro and she was very thankful and we went on our way with me feeling very good about myself. The lads were giving me dirty looks saying that it was an obvious scam and sure enough when I looked back she was going round to other groups looking for money.

I was arguing that if she was getting a taxi somewhere remote she'd need a bit of money and would need to hit up a few people.

So what do ye think, scam or not? And if it was, anyone encountered something similar?

Terry

She may have been genuine or else this is just a new twist on the junkie busfare scam.

Attol

I lost my Nitelink fare one night after I'd been seperated from everyone I knew and had to ask for it off strangers at the bus stop or else I woulda been stuck in town all night. Hard to tell though but if she looked like she was coming back from a night out she was probably legit.

OctavarIan

I'd say it was a man.

Or a scam, my gut tells me it was a scam, my heart tells me it wasn't, and my head tells me I wasn't there so how could I know.

Gut wins, I think it was a scam. I always run into people asking for money in templebar, even during the day. "I need to make a phonecall" "I need to buy some cigarettes" "I'm f**kin starvin have ye got any money so I can buy food?" etc None of the people are particulary well dressed, and they're mostly all middle aged men with a few days stubble, but women are cleverer at getting what they want, so your story sounds like a scam to me.

Puteq

ah dude she got you good. years ago i got caught with exactly the same scam, minus the hot chick. some dude with an english accent and a really convincing story about having just got off the plane and stolen luggage and all, so i gave him a few quid to help him towards getting a hostel for the night. but sure enough i saw him tons of times again spinning the same yarn to others (days and weeks later!) in Temple Bar again.

i dunno, i didnt get mad or anything, just laughed inwardly at having been had. i guess its deceitful and all but its not like mugging or anything, which would leave a degree of traumatisation and all, its just some chancer.

Macker

Scam or not you did a good thing ,don't worry about it

thefinalstage

Puteq wrote:

ah dude she got you good. years ago i got caught with exactly the same scam, minus the hot chick. some dude with an english accent and a really convincing story about having just got off the plane and stolen luggage and all, so i gave him a few quid to help him towards getting a hostel for the night. but sure enough i saw him tons of times again spinning the same yarn to others (days and weeks later!) in Temple Bar again.

i dunno, i didnt get mad or anything, just laughed inwardly at having been had. i guess its deceitful and all but its not like mugging or anything, which would leave a degree of traumatisation and all, its just some chancer.

I would have hit him up for a few euro. "I need money to call the garda..."

Puteq

Macker wrote:

Scam or not you did a good thing ,don't worry about it

Yeah I would second this actually, I mean chancers who do scam peoples good will with scams like this are doing a bad thing cos if someone really did get caught and needed a taxi home they are less likely to get help from good people because of paranoia created by scammers. I guess you're better off to have given a few quid in case it was really needed rather than leave someone stuck.

monkey tennis

Hard to tell. TBH, you're probably better off handing over a euro or two if you can spare it, on the chance that it is legit. If not, meh - who can't spare a euro?

Pigman II

If I had given the money I'd choose to relegate any thoughts that it was a scam. You should do the same.

thebman

Maybe next time ask where she has to get to and how much a taxi costs to get there.

A scammer might not have thought the answers out. Either that or they have and will answer too quickly as most people won't know the taxi fare home immediately off the top of their head and will have to think about it.

If they aren't sure or your in doubt still, refuse and the person will probably say please and hopefully the look on their face would seem genuine.

Of course they could just be a great scammer but this reduces the likelyhood that you've been scammed.

marktsang

should have brought her back to yours in a taxi for free

the boss of me

monkey tennis wrote:

Hard to tell. TBH, you're probably better off handing over a euro or two if you can spare it, on the chance that it is legit. If not, meh - who can't spare a euro?

It's not really about the euro. If she wasn't legit your euro most probably ended up in some drug dealers pocket. Would you really want that ??

arybvtcw0eolkf

'There but for the grace of god go I'...

Either way you done a good thing.

stepbar

Couldn't she have went to the nearest Garda station?

Alanthroneus

the boss of me wrote:

It's not really about the euro. If she wasn't legit your euro most probably ended up in some drug dealers pocket. Would you really want that ??

the thing is youre never gonna know.. so id give her the benefit of the doubt and throw her a few bob..

skink

Puteq wrote:

ah dude she got you good. years ago i got caught with exactly the same scam, minus the hot chick. some dude with an english accent and a really convincing story about having just got off the plane and stolen luggage and all, so i gave him a few quid to help him towards getting a hostel for the night. but sure enough i saw him tons of times again spinning the same yarn to others (days and weeks later!) in Temple Bar again.

i dunno, i didnt get mad or anything, just laughed inwardly at having been had. i guess its deceitful and all but its not like mugging or anything, which would leave a degree of traumatisation and all, its just some chancer.

i got caught by the same ****er, and saw him again, and i just had to laugh!

zeusnero

Alanthroneus wrote:

the thing is youre never gonna know.. so id give her the benefit of the doubt and throw her a few bob..

That depends on whether or not she's back around the same spot doing the same thing in the coming week(s) / months...

dulpit

I would think that she was prob legit... she may have been counting on sharing a cab with her friends, if they ditched her then she wouldn't have money...

It was the right thing to do alright, but you should have offered to share cab (if she's as cute as you say )

SimpleSam06

the boss of me wrote:

It's not really about the euro. If she wasn't legit your euro most probably ended up in some drug dealers pocket. Would you really want that ??

Theres an area between "scam" and "needy stranger" here in Ireland, that I call the "good time girls". Middle class, well educated young girls who learned at some point that being a fit young wan will get you all sorts of favours if you look at the lads the right way. Its not neccesarily the normal flirtation that most people indulge in, its a deliberate effort to manipulate someone. Free drinks, free taxis, whatever. They are between that point where they have too much money to make it worth the bother, and the point where they have too little money to be in a nightclub in the first place. What throws people is that they aren't the sort of people who will normally indulge in that kind of behaviour.

The last time I encountered it I was training up a new sales rep, so I brought her on a call to a new customer. I was explaining our services to him, when I noticed he had turned a funny colour. I then spotted, out of the corner of my eye, that the highly attractive young woman was staring fixatedly at his crotch. I don't recall if she was licking her lips or not, but you get the general idea. Sounds like the something similar happened to the OP...

Kinetic^

She clearly wanted some c0ck!!!!

NeMiSiS

You just wanted your way with her !
You were scammed out of both money, and vagina.
TK

nice1franko

It was neither genuine nor a scam... that was begging. damn good begging.

Scammers take your money but don't give you what you expect in return.

Beggars take your money but lie about what it's for. The best beggars give you something back though: that warm fuzzy feeling inside as you walk away.

Bravo beggar girl.

nachos

nice1franko wrote:

It was neither genuine nor a scam... that was begging. damn good begging.

Scammers take your money but don't give you what you expect in return.

Beggars take your money but lie about what it's for. The best beggars give you something back though: that warm fuzzy feeling inside as you walk away.

Bravo beggar girl.

After reading some of these replies, I'm feeling fairly thick that I fell for what is a blatant scam if you take out the cute girl.

I'll try and be a bit more shrewd the next time. Though I would still like to think that I'd be able to recognise and give to a person that's in genuine need of help

Tha Gopher

nachos wrote:

We were stopped by this girl who was asking for money to get a taxi home to somewhere remote because her friends has abandoned her. What was strange was that she was Irish, well dressed and was fairly cute.

STOP THE PRESS! NEW FRONT-PAGE!!!!

"Shocker- pretty girl uses good looks to get drunk-ish man to buy her drink/services/goods"


Wait til the lads hear this one, girl getting freebies from men who are fcuked, and only because of their looks, whatever next

Dunno, by the description doesnt sound like a junkie. Country students can be short of cash, possibly a drunken dare, fuelled by the thought of being able to go out on a weeknight rather than sh1te student nights midweek.

Jesus Wept

nachos wrote:

After reading some of these replies, I'm feeling fairly thick that I fell for what is a blatant scam if you take out the cute girl.

I'll try and be a bit more shrewd the next time. Though I would still like to think that I'd be able to recognise and give to a person that's in genuine need of help

If you take out the cute girl??? I think that IS the scam, helps anyhow.

Nailz

Who cares, if she was cute and well dressed... that the ride!

Irish Wolf

Was she chanting "Step right up"?

MaxFlower

Macker wrote:

Scam or not you did a good thing ,don't worry about it

Nail on the head there. I once got 'scammed' by a polite gent in a car park. Some line 'bout lost luggage. Anyway he got a fiver because I told him initially I had no change on me and he said not to worry, told me a funny story/joke and went on his merry way (not the usual instant personality change and obligatory 'fcuk ya'). I went after him, gave him the money and went away with a smile on my face for the rest of the day. Best fiver I spent in a long time.