Ever been scammed/grifted/had?

Shakespeare's Sister

Recently I was getting petrol when a man approached me to ask for help. He said he had to rush his partner into hospital earlier that day and with all the stress he forgot to take cash out. He said his car had run out of petrol a mile or so up the road and asked me for €20 to put petrol in a jerry-can.
I'm not a complete dope - I knew there was a chance he wasn't genuine, but I'd have felt like a monster if I didn't help him, in case he was genuine. I gave him the money and he gave me his number (an 089 one). The powers of being put on the spot.

That night I felt uneasy about the transaction so googled it, and yep, it's a classic scam.
Gave it a couple of days and rang/texted. Surprise! No response.

I'm lucky to be in full-time employment and not in any trouble financially, so €20 is no biggie. But - feck me, it's dismaying that someone could take advantage of someone's guilt like that! And what if I was someone who was struggling financially? I and many others just wouldn't feel right refusing, and it's so depressing that there are others who know this full well and use it to their advantage.
I hate that this incident will make me more cynical in future. But maybe I'll hear from him soon... when the little piggies are flying.

debabyjesus

Hey op my I locked myself out of my house and my wallet is inside. So is my cat. I need €50 to get a locksmith and save poor puss. You can wire it to me at ohmygodhesgivingittome@hotmail.ng. Cousin benson will refund you double asap

cloud493

When I was younger, the new PSP games console had just come out, and it was sold out in all the shops, I was gutted obviously. Came out of Game, two chaps asked me if I wanted a PSP off them, cheaper than Game! Delighted I was, they said I had to give them the cash to buy it, then they'd meet me at a well known spot in 20 minutes. Me being arguably the stupidest I've ever been, handed them over £120 cash, sure I was gonna have a brand new PSP in 20 minutes. Surprise surprise, they didn't show up, I waited literally 3 hours for them *






*Turned out my mum actually knew who they were, went round their house that evening,and I don't know what she did/said but they came round, gave me my money back and a meek apology, than ran off with their tails between their legs.

Shakespeare's Sister

debabyjesus wrote: »

Hey op my I locked myself out of my house and my wallet is inside. So is my cat. I need €50 to get a locksmith and save poor puss. You can wire it to me at ohmygodhesgivingittome@hotmail.ng. Cousin benson will refund you double asap

Typing in my credit card details this very minute. You poor thing... xx

Is Benson hot?

monkeysnapper

About 3 years ago a young guy walked into the shop I worked and gave me the exact same story you just said , said he had no money , and was on the brink of running out of fuel . .. He seemed like a real nice lad.
Like you I felt I wanted to trust this guy, he wanted 20 euro also. I was just about to give him money when I had a brain wave. I said look I'm finished in 20 mins , there's a garage just down street , go there with car and I'll meet you there at 6pm and I'll put 20 quid in for you .

The guy never showed up. I didn't lose my money but I felt angry all the same. If he was a scam artist I hope he gets a good beating .

Shakespeare's Sister

monkeysnapper wrote: »

About 3 years ago a young guy walked into the shop I worked and gave me the exact same story you just said , said he had no money , and was on the brink of running out of fuel . .. He seemed like a real nice lad.
Like you I felt I wanted to trust this guy, he wanted 20 euro also. I was just about to give him money when I had a brain wave. I said look I'm finished in 20 mins , there's a garage just down street , go there with car and I'll meet you there at 6pm and I'll put 20 quid in for you .

Fuq it, wish I'd thought of that. As I said, put on the spot - brain freeze.

agent graves

my at the time bank in Australia rang me one day asking did i recently purchase shoes in china.. which i didn't so they cancelled my card.. the scammers only went for something small thankfully, but it could have been alot worse..

punisher5112

Op thanks so much for the petrol but I put it into a diesel any chance you could get the fuel saver guys out I promise will pay ya back.

Need a €1 to get the bus back to Limerick, spare some change.

Be careful out there if you are so nice as they pretend to break down and end up taking your car when you stop.

holystungun9

Grifted? Yeah, once in the fifties.

iMac_Hunt

cloud493 wrote: »

When I was younger, the new PSP games console had just come out, and it was sold out in all the shops, I was gutted obviously. Came out of Game, two chaps asked me if I wanted a PSP off them, cheaper than Game! Delighted I was, they said I had to give them the cash to buy it, then they'd meet me at a well known spot in 20 minutes. Me being arguably the stupidest I've ever been, handed them over £120 cash, sure I was gonna have a brand new PSP in 20 minutes. Surprise surprise, they didn't show up, I waited literally 3 hours for them .

I genuinely laughed at this. I take it you were extremely young and gullible. The waiting for 3 hours makes it funnier.

Teyla Emmagan

I have given a few traveller women money for a story like this. Twice around Liffey Valley/Naas Road area oddly enough, but years apart. Anyway, I didn't believe them, but felt so bad for them lying about not having the money to bring the babba to the hospital or whatever, that I went with it. Maybe I'm a bigger mug, and they're making millions a day, but I just felt looking at them that they were in dire straits whatever the truth was, and they probably really needed the money.

Shakespeare's Sister

punisher5112 wrote: »

Op thanks so much for the petrol but I put it into a diesel any chance you could get the fuel saver guys out I promise will pay ya back.

Need a €1 to get the bus back to Limerick, spare some change.

Be careful out there if you are so nice as they pretend to break down and end up taking your car when you stop.

Don't know if I'm that nice, just easily guilted sometimes.

Shakespeare's Sister

holystungun9 wrote: »

Grifted? Yeah, once in the fifties.

Now you're on the trolley.

punisher5112

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

I have given a few traveller women money for a story like this. Twice around Liffey Valley/Naas Road area oddly enough, but years apart. Anyway, I didn't believe them, but felt so bad for them lying about not having the money to bring the babba to the hospital or whatever, that I went with it. Maybe I'm a bigger mug, and they're making millions a day, but I just felt looking at them that they were in dire straits whatever the truth was, and they probably really needed the money.

Don't get how that would work no hospital would turn away a sick child never mind one of those as they would be back to burn em down.

Teyla Emmagan

agent graves wrote: »

my at the time bank in Australia rang me one day asking did i recently purchase shoes in china.. which i didn't so they cancelled my card.. the scammers only went for something small thankfully, but it could have been alot worse..

Oh yeah, have had my card done alright. Got a call from AIB in Hong Kong airport waiting to fly to Seoul. And of course they cancelled the card, and because I'm thick, I had no money in my current account. But bizarrely the online banking thing still worked so I was able to transfer money off my credit card so still had cash. Bit hairy for a few hours though.

cloud493

iMac_Hunt wrote: »

I genuinely laughed at this. I take it you were extremely young and gullible. The waiting for 3 hours makes it funnier.

Oh yeah. Only 12 at the time.

JayRoc

cloud493 wrote: »

When I was younger, the new PSP games console had just come out, and it was sold out in all the shops, I was gutted obviously. Came out of Game, two chaps asked me if I wanted a PSP off them, cheaper than Game! Delighted I was, they said I had to give them the cash to buy it, then they'd meet me at a well known spot in 20 minutes. Me being arguably the stupidest I've ever been, handed them over £120 cash, sure I was gonna have a brand new PSP in 20 minutes. Surprise surprise, they didn't show up, I waited literally 3 hours for them *






*Turned out my mum actually knew who they were, went round their house that evening,and I don't know what she did/said but they came round, gave me my money back and a meek apology, than ran off with their tails between their legs.

I would not be ****ing with your Mam

The Backwards Man

Lot more innocent than it sounds, but I lost my brand new burgundy puffed Burtons coat in a gay bar on the Dutch/German border in the mid 90s. Left it in the cloakroom, when I came back, they said my ticket was for the night before. Cost me £90 that coat. Sterling.

Haven't been scammed since thankfully, I'm naturally cynical anyway so I suppose that helps.

Teyla Emmagan

punisher5112 wrote: »

Don't get how that would work no hospital would turn away a sick child never mind one of those as they would be back to burn em down.

Lying honey, she was lying. But I felt sorry for her, so hey.

Laois6556

I once tried to buy some drugs off a fella, was young. He said he had some ecstasy, yokes as we call them. I thought I'd be a great lad bringing the goods back to my friends, paid 20 euro for 8 I think. Turns out they were some sort of constipation medication. I only found that out cause I took 2.
I'm embarrassed even typing this story.

FanadMan

Got stopped by the same guy twice within a year in Letterkenny. First time he said he was driving a van full of tvs, stereos etc and ran out of diesel a couple of miles out the road and could I loan him 20 and when he gets the van in I could have a free tv. I made excuses and walked away.

Less than a year later at the same spot, here comes the same "boss" with the same story. I let him go through his spiel until the end and let rip at him at the top of my voice to make sure everyone heard me :-D He claimed ignorance but just told him to feck off. No idea if he managed to get that van started lol

Sand

As a child of about 12, I remember going into a well-known bookstore ( incidentally, a book is divided into chapters) and selling oooh, 20-25 second hand books in good condition for about five pounds.

Now, I didn't know I had been had. But my mother did. As soon as she heard the price I got she marched me back to that bookstore, and demanded all the books back and after a full out argument with the staff she got her way. I had to go and pick all the books back off the shelves. Mortifying.

TheBeardedLady

You might find it dismaying and I can see what you're saying but it really heartens me to hear people willing to help, even if he was a trickster. It was a decent, kind thing to do. You weren't to know and I do believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt as I reckon most cases are genuine and I do believe most people are decent and willing to help than are out to get you. As you said, you would've felt like a monster if you didn't and what if he was genuine?


I've heard of people people being done before in similar circumstances.

Was travelling this Summer and met a girl from Canada who gave a fellow traveller 20 quid to get home because he told her his credit card had broken in half at the atm but it's apparently a common scam on this particular trip as well and she was kicking herself.

Nothing like that has happened to me but I've been ripped off by taxi drivers and charged too much for stuff in foreign countries but I'd be a bit more savvy to that kind of ripping off now and probably overly suspicious as a result.

GerB40

I bought a radio from a member of the travelling community before. He took it out of the box, showed me that it worked, even let me examine it, then pulled some Paul Daniels shít on me coz minutes later when I opened it I immediately knew I'd been done.. It was the same colour as the 'display model' but the similarities end there.


Long story short he's in prison now... Not for scamming me but still, I feel somewhat vindicated...

iMac_Hunt

cloud493 wrote: »

Oh yeah. Only 12 at the time.

Your first and only time getting caught out. Learned the hard way. You got the money back too so win win.

Shakespeare's Sister

cloud493 wrote: »

Oh yeah. Only 12 at the time.

A 12-year-old is probably not gonna be cynical either. Poor 12-year-old you - the feckers.

TheBeardedLady

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

I have given a few traveller women money for a story like this. Twice around Liffey Valley/Naas Road area oddly enough, but years apart. Anyway, I didn't believe them, but felt so bad for them lying about not having the money to bring the babba to the hospital or whatever, that I went with it. Maybe I'm a bigger mug, and they're making millions a day, but I just felt looking at them that they were in dire straits whatever the truth was, and they probably really needed the money.

Yeah. I've been told a few porkies by visibly desperate people and have given them money but I wouldn't really count that as getting ripped off.

vicM

Pretty recently was scammed
Bloke approached me on the street and asked if I wanted a gs5 at basically throw away price
Led me to their car where another lad with a British accent showed me the phone
I bargained hard thinking I could brag later of how I got the latest android cheaply.
Anyhow handed over cash, and they put the phone with it's original box into a bag , but somehow switch the bags and gave it to me
On checking the bag, revealed a box of cappuccino sachets!
Still have the box unopened in my kitchen to remind me how much they cost

cloud493

Aye, I then had to endure my mum taking the money off me and doling it out to me in small amounts cos of my utter stupidity still, learning experience and all that.

D Trent

vicM wrote: »

Pretty recently was scammed
Bloke approached me on the street and asked if I wanted a gs5 at basically throw away price
Led me to their car where another lad with a British accent showed me the phone
I bargained hard thinking I could brag later of how I got the latest android cheaply.
Anyhow handed over cash, and they put the phone with it's original box into a bag , but somehow switch the bags and gave it to me
On checking the bag, revealed a box of cappuccino sachets!
Still have the box unopened in my kitchen to remind me how much they cost

Eh ........the phone is obviously in the box so open it dumbass



Jesus

MayoForSam

I was flying home from Paris one time, in Beauvais airport waiting for my flight. This geezer with an English accent comes along in a bit of a state, reckons he had lost his wallet and plane ticket and needed to get home badly. He looked fairly respectable, bookish look about him so I took pity on a fellow traveller. Ended up buying him a new ticket for 70 quid after he swore to re-imburse me when he got home. We exchanged contact details, he gave me his address, phone number and swore on his son's life he would send me the money the following day.

Needless to say, I never heard from the guy ever again. Phone number didn't exist and I doubt if his address did either. Ah well, I felt like a real good samaritan at the time.

Mariasofia

Yeah Ive been had......





Wut wait define had...... :O

TheBeardedLady

cloud493 wrote: »

Aye, I then had to endure my mum taking the money off me and doling it out to me in small amounts cos of my utter stupidity still, learning experience and all that.

Awww.

DazMarz

This is a classic scam that is used to try to con many people out of money from banks/post offices/credit unions/etc. (usually, but not always, this scam is perpetrated by two individuals of the foreign extraction; more specifically Romanian extraction... hey, I don't make the rules! The fact is that most of the perps in this particular scam happen to hail from Vampire Land, so it ain't my fault! I'm just passing on the good word!)

Anyway, the scam works that the two perps walk into the place, up to the cashier with a big wad of €50 notes. They then ask, in suitably broken English, to change this amount into €20 notes. The cashier complies, then all of a sudden, our Continental cousins change their mind. They usually claim they wanted Pound Sterling or something else, but not €20 notes. They ask for their original wad of €50's back. Using distracting chatter and sleight of hand, they get their €50's back, and the poor sucker behind the counter is left somewhere between €200 and €500 light once they get their €20's back. The two perps are gone before the fact is realised.

Twice, they've tried this with me in work. In fairness to An Post, if it is known that these fúckers are on the prowl, you'll receive a warning about it. So we usually are aware that they're in the area. The first time, I played along, strung them along, gave them their €20's... then flat-out refused to hand them back their own €50's (all of which were genuine €50's, by the way... I didn't get double-bluffed with forgeries). They started getting stroppy and everything. I picked up the phone and rang the local cop shop. You've never seen two lads leave quicker. Fúcking up yours, motherfúckers.

Second time, they caught me in a bad mood. I flat out refused to play ball and just told them to piss off and called the law. They scarpered sharpish.

Gone Drinking

I've been offered cheap goods a few times, but never went for it. I also tried to buy an expensive pedigree kitten recently and they wrote me an email saying they're not in the country but can arrange delivery if i pay X up front :rolleyes: ****ing scamming for a cat..

I've seen a couple of people getting scammed. In the pub one night, a local lad sitting across from us got done by the oul laptop switcharoo trick. It was my first time seeing it, saw the whole thing live outside when we were smoking, right up to when he took the "laptop" inside and found two liters of milk and the independent.

Walked into the toilet of a pub one night, to see a small drug transaction happening. Guy who sold it left, guy who bought it went into the toilet only to come out going nuts because he'd be sold a small bag of cotton wool. Pretty funny

vicM

D Trent wrote: »

Eh ........the phone is obviously in the box so open it dumbass



Jesus

Of course! *Flies down to the kitchen

Sand

vicM wrote: »

Of course! *Flies down to the kitchen

I'm going to predict there is actually no phone in the box.

dreamers75

Outside Aldi in D22 one day waiting on taxi to get home and 2 lads of irish ethnic minority pull up and offer me an Inspiron 1500 (worth about 450 at the time) for €50, i said yeah sure give me the laptop to check it doesnt have ID10T errors on it. Confused they hand me the laptop and i turn it on and make sure it boots. Offer them the 50 there and then and holding onto the laptop they say "give it back and we will put it in the laptop bag for you".

Nope tis grand as it is. heres your 50.....


Sweet laptop still going strong

monkeysnapper

Shakespeare's Sister wrote: »

Fuq it, wish I'd thought of that. As I said, put on the spot - brain freeze.

In the 20 mins before I left work I thought I'll ask to see fuel gauge before I put fuel in , he told me he was from a place I know is a hour long drive , so I thought if he has a quarter of a tank I'll be keeping my money.

I wish I'd hung around and went on the look out for this person .

vicM

Sand wrote: »

I'm going to predict there is actually no phone in the box.

I knew that on that rather sunny July afternoon..
Classic switcheroo trick I believe it's called

cazzer22

This one time in Paris. I was waiting at the airport about to get into a taxi and a guy said 'taxis are so damn expensive, want to share?' and foolishly I agreed. And then I got taken.

DazMarz

cazzer22 wrote: »

This one time in Paris. I was waiting at the airport about to get into a taxi and a guy said 'taxis are so damn expensive, want to share?' and foolishly I agreed. And then I got taken.

Yeah, but you had Liam Neeson rescue you, while kicking ass and taking names. Fúcking epic!!!

Doom

dreamers75 wrote: »

Outside Aldi in D22 one day waiting on taxi to get home and 2 lads of irish ethnic minority pull up and offer me an Inspiron 1500 (worth about 450 at the time) for €50, i said yeah sure give me the laptop to check it doesnt have ID10T errors on it. Confused they hand me the laptop and i turn it on and make sure it boots. Offer them the 50 there and then and holding onto the laptop they say "give it back and we will put it in the laptop bag for you".

Nope tis grand as it is. heres your 50.....


Sweet laptop still going strong

I call bollox on this...bet you bought a Argos book for €50.

leggo

When I was a teen, standing asking people to buy me drink outside the off-licence. Why did we pick the one off-licence in the area with two entrances/exits?

Happened twice or three times (we were stupid teens asking randoms for booze back then - give us a break) before we realised it'd be intelligent to split up and have a lad on each door. First time a guy tried it he went around the other exit, then tried the other one again when he saw us, then just gave us our money back when he realised the gig was up. A win is a win.

Doom

I bought a house....biggest scam ever

punisher5112

Born in Ireland another scam.

Ronin247

Over the last month I became a victim of a clever 'Eastern European'scam while out shopping. Simply dropping into Tesco's for a bit of shopping resulted in the following...... Don't be naïve enough to thinkit couldn't happen to you or your friends.Here's how the scam works:Two very good looking voluptuous 20-21 year-old girls came over to my car as I was packing my shopping into the boot. They both started cleaning my windscreen, their boobs almost falling out of their skimpyT-shirts.When I thanked them and offered them a tip, they said 'No' and instead asked me for a lift to another supermarket. I agreed and they both got in the back seat.Onthe way, they started undressing, and both got completely in thebuff.Then, when I pull over to remonstrate, one of them climbed over into the front seat and started crawling all over my lap, trying to kiss me and touch me intimately, thrusting herself against me.While the other one stole my wallet! I had my wallet stolen July 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th,20th, 24th, and 29th.Also August 1st, 4th, 6th,10th and twice yesterday.

punisher5112

Ronin247 wrote: »

Over the last month I became a victim of a clever 'Eastern European'scam while out shopping. Simply dropping into Tesco's for a bit of shopping resulted in the following...... Don't be naïve enough to thinkit couldn't happen to you or your friends.Here's how the scam works:Two very good looking voluptuous 20-21 year-old girls came over to my car as I was packing my shopping into the boot. They both started cleaning my windscreen, their boobs almost falling out of their skimpyT-shirts.When I thanked them and offered them a tip, they said 'No' and instead asked me for a lift to another supermarket. I agreed and they both got in the back seat.Onthe way, they started undressing, and both got completely in thebuff.Then, when I pull over to remonstrate, one of them climbed over into the front seat and started crawling all over my lap, trying to kiss me and touch me intimately, thrusting herself against me.While the other one stole my wallet! I had my wallet stolen July 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th,20th, 24th, and 29th.Also August 1st, 4th, 6th,10th and twice yesterday.

oldy but a goody;)

4zn76tysfajdxp

punisher5112 wrote: »

Born in Ireland another scam.

What are you on about?

punisher5112

Zahir Substantial Table wrote: »

What are you on about?

We are scammed every day would have thought would have understood.:cool:

KilOit

punisher5112 wrote: »

Born in Ireland another scam.

Oh god the horror! love to be born in Somalia or North Korea