Scam or Not?

The_Illuminator · 15-05-2011 02:34PM #1

A few weeks back I was walking along the docklands in Dublin, when a middle-aged guy approached me, stopping me and looking fairly worried about something. He immediately started into this long and dodgy-sounding story about his wife being broken down out on the M50 and her having the keys to his flat, which he was locked out of. He didn't have his wallet on him, and was saying he needed to borrow €50 to get a taxi out to her. I don't remember all the details, but that was the jist of it.

Of course, I felt fairly sketchy about all this, and I decided to apologise and move on. He seemed fairly disappointed and kept going on about how he would pay me back €200 once he got hold of his wallet, but I couldn't afford to take the risk.

Just wondering if anyone's been approached like this before and what you did in the situation. Anyone ever given the benefit of the doubt to a complete stranger and had it pay off? Or have you ever given a stranger the benefit of the doubt and never heard from them again?

Fukuyama · 15-05-2011 02:35PM

Not really a scam... daylight robbery yes.

CorkMan · 15-05-2011 02:36PM

I would not give him the money, sounds like a bullsh*tter.

I remember before a romanian guy was going around to people with a picture of his supposed sick daughter, asking people for 2 euros. I thought about giving him money but didn't. Saw him years later doing the same thing.

bigjohnny80 · 15-05-2011 02:38PM

The AA would have towed her back for the 200. He could have given them the money once he got his keys. Scam.

OutlawPete · 15-05-2011 02:38PM

The_Illuminator wrote: »

He seemed fairly disappointed ..

Damn right I was, had a tip on a horse and it won, you would have got your money back :mad:

Hurricane-Dean · 15-05-2011 02:40PM

Absolute scam well done for not giving him the money, quickest way to lose €50 imo

Dyr · 15-05-2011 02:40PM

The_Illuminator wrote: »

A few weeks back I was walking along the docklands in Dublin, when a middle-aged guy approached me, stopping me and looking fairly worried about something. He immediately started into this long and dodgy-sounding story about his wife being broken down out on the M50 and her having the keys to his flat, which he was locked out of. He didn't have his wallet on him, and was saying he needed to borrow €50 to get a taxi out to her. I don't remember all the details, but that was the jist of it.

Of course, I felt fairly sketchy about all this, and I decided to apologise and move on. He seemed fairly disappointed and kept going on about how he would pay me back €200 once he got hold of his wallet, but I couldn't afford to take the risk.

Just wondering if anyone's been approached like this before and what you did in the situation. Anyone ever given the benefit of the doubt to a complete stranger and had it pay off? Or have you ever given a stranger the benefit of the doubt and never heard from them again?

offer to give him a lift out to the M50, see what he says...

hondasam · 15-05-2011 02:42PM

Joe Duffy had a full show on this guy I think.

samhail · 15-05-2011 02:43PM

Bambi wrote: »

offer to give him a lift out to the M50, see what he says...

and if he didnt have a wife there he would be staring in a new series bum fights on the M50.

OutlawPete · 15-05-2011 02:46PM

The guy that winds me up is the tall skinny guy with black hair who comes up to you in Dublin and in an fake English accent says: "Excuse me, can I ask you something.." Always outside the Savoy & Gresham.

Wanker!

Cianos · 15-05-2011 02:46PM

Tell him to take a taxi and pay at the destination like I've done many a time.

hondasam · 15-05-2011 02:48PM

OutlawPete wrote: »

The guy that winds me up is the tall skinny guy with black hair who comes up to you in Dublin and in an fake English accent says: "Excuse me, can I ask you something.." Always outside the Savoy & Gresham.

Wanker!

what did he ask you ?

dxhound2005 · 15-05-2011 02:48PM

It's an example of what is known as a "stranger in distress" scam.

http://www.snopes.com/fraud/distress/stranded.asp

robbie_998 · 15-05-2011 02:49PM

Fair play OP....

i was standing at the bus stop in dublin city and a old cramped down woman junkie stopped asking people for spare change... "Got any spare change there bud?!"
Me: I do.
Her: Well can i have it ?
ME: Nope.... bye now

she shouted at me then but i was getting on the bus at that stage

or

I remember one i did when i was in dublin city (again) when an woman near enough to 30 had a row of €1 coins in her hand.... must of had at least €15 in her hand and i was watching her come down the street and she was asking people for spare change.... when she got to me on the street.. before she could talk i asked very politely "sorry, any chance i could get a euro of you there please... its just i have no bus fare home

" .... she gave it to me ! :pac:

Badgermonkey · 15-05-2011 02:50PM

hondasam wrote: »

Joe Duffy had a full show on this guy I think.

Seen Joe's salary?

Now THAT'S a scam.

Sofaspud · 15-05-2011 02:50PM

OutlawPete wrote: »

The guy that winds me up is the tall skinny guy with black hair who comes up to you in Dublin and in an fake English accent says: "Excuse me, can I ask you something.." Always outside the Savoy & Gresham.

Wanker!

He used to always be outside fibbers of a thursday night, I've seen him in temple bar and around busaras as well.

There's another guy who's come up to me twice telling me that his pregnant sister was stabbed the night before and lost her baby, he was beaten up and robbed, they were just out of the hospital and he was €10 short for the train to maynooth, despite the ticket costing about €2.50 . . .

Duckworth_Luas · 15-05-2011 02:53PM

hondasam wrote: »

Joe Duffy had a full show on this guy I think.

Joe Duffy? Now there's a con-man!

annascott · 15-05-2011 02:54PM

It is really difficult to know what to do. I'm always afraid that once you get your wallet/purse out that they will snatch it and run away...

Many years ago I was stopped by a frail old lady who was standing at the end of her drive way and said that she had opened her purse and €5 had blown out. A young boy picked it up and would not give it back to her and it was all that she had until pension day. I felt really sorry for her and gave her €20. I did not want it back and felt very good about myself and the great karma that I had created blah blah. A week later, I passed by and saw the same frail old lady telling the same story to someone else. I should have said something but I was only about 19 at the time and didn't have the confidence that I have now. I was annoyed about for ages though and it blighted my trust in old people for years...

JBnaglfar · 15-05-2011 02:59PM

Sofaspud wrote: »

There's another guy who's come up to me twice telling me that his pregnant sister was stabbed the night before and lost her baby, he was beaten up and robbed, they were just out of the hospital and he was €10 short for the train to maynooth, despite the ticket costing about €2.50 . . .

Funnily enough, one of my housemates heard the exact same story from someone trying to get the train from Maynooth into town.

Mike 1972 · 15-05-2011 03:03PM

The_Illuminator wrote: »

saying he needed to borrow €50

:eek: Jaysus when I lived in Dublin it was two quid for a sandwich ...

Hank_Jones · 15-05-2011 03:39PM

Make it a point to not give money to anybody, unless it is something that effects me personally or those I love.

They clearly just see those of upstanding morals as "marks" which they can gain free money from with a sob story.

deathrider · 15-05-2011 03:54PM

I'm always a bit dogdey about giving stranger anything, and I mean anything. I usually get out of there as soon as they ask. I might seem like a bit of a assh*le, but I think it's for my own safety. Back in my teens a few guys asked me for a smoke. I said "Sorry, lads, I don't smoke", so instead they beat the crap outta me and took my wallet. All I could think was, I should have just gave them a damn smoke!

The Baltimore Sun · 15-05-2011 04:03PM

I've noticed "Chuggers" all pulling the same stunt on punters recently. They say "Oh you just dropped something" while pointing at the ground....after you look down and up, they say "now do u have a minute to talk"!!
Really gets on my goat!:mad:
p.s it wasn't done to me (everytime!).

puppetmaster · 15-05-2011 04:19PM

Yeh sounds like a scam, a lame one at that.

Although I was in San ysdiro in The US and there was this couple with a baby at the train station Who were somwhat upset cause he had been robbed and had no wallet and way to get home. asked for 20 bucks for the train ticket. Was of course dodgy about it but he musta caught me on a good day i wasnt skint,he looked honest. bought him the two train tickets for 15 Dollars and gave him a fiver for a mackers. They were very appreciative, gave my email address he insisted on thanking me. Thought no more if it really, Just put it down to $20 chairty on my part. Got an email from him a week later About how appreciative he was of the help and sent me back $50 via paypal. Wanted to send more but i wouldnt accept.... Happy ending for once.

Bout 3 months after that i lost me wallet on a night out in Dublin. Was Ragin as had everything in it including about €80. Got a call from a guy the next day saying he found it. Was driving through the City and gave it back to me.
Couldn't believe it

Score 1 for Karma eh...

g_moriarty · 15-05-2011 04:29PM

€50 for a taxi to the m50 from the docklands is the real scam here.

Larianne · 15-05-2011 04:35PM

Yeah, I got stopped by a guy in his mid twenties while walking down Pearse Street (Dublin) a few months back, asking was I Irish and then proceeded to tell me he had just done a hairdressing course in some place off Merrion Square and that he locked his keys and wallet in his car and needed money for a bus home? Very weird.

Mint Sauce · 15-05-2011 04:40PM

Defo scam OP

CorkMan wrote: »

I remember before a romanian guy was going around to people with a picture of his supposed sick daughter, asking people for 2 euros. I thought about giving him money but didn't. Saw him years later doing the same thing.

Maybe she was still sick.

Best one I seen was the weekend of a U2 concert in Croke Park. Some fella was selling limited edition U2 cds on O'Connell Bridge for about a tenner. Picked up the same CD in the same packaging my self a week earlier in a sunday paper.

Oranage2 · 15-05-2011 04:57PM

Got stopped by a junkie on Camdem street telling me his girlfriend just had a miscarraige and had lost his wallet and needed 20 euro for a taxi to the hospital - just said no, sorry.

Another time walking by a Luas stop a junkie with 4 cans of Karpachi asked me for a few euro for a hostel, i just told him he shouldnt have spent his money on the can so - luckily i wasnt waiting for a luas or else i wouldnt have be so brave

lastlaugh · 15-05-2011 04:59PM

Anyone see that bloke who was on Grafton Street over Christmas/New Year who was sitting down without any shoes or socks on?

It was absolutely freezing out and he looked like he was going to freeze to death. Apparently he was refusing people giving him shoes rather than money.

Would that be a scam or just stupid?

Oranage2 · 15-05-2011 05:12PM

lastlaugh wrote: »

Anyone see that bloke who was on Grafton Street over Christmas/New Year who was sitting down without any shoes or socks on?

It was absolutely freezing out and he looked like he was going to freeze to death. Apparently he was refusing people giving him shoes rather than money.

Would that be a scam or just stupid?

A lot of these beggars put on dirty ripped clothes just to beg and that goes for the Romas too ~ think of it like a work uniform - if you walk around town latish say 8ish on a weekday - a lot of the beggers are walking around in top clobber -

amdublin · 15-05-2011 05:19PM

lastlaugh wrote: »

Anyone see that bloke who was on Grafton Street over Christmas/New Year who was sitting down without any shoes or socks on?

It was absolutely freezing out and he looked like he was going to freeze to death. Apparently he was refusing people giving him shoes rather than money.

Would that be a scam or just stupid?

He's back outside Connolly Stn for the last week or so.

A friend of mine bought him shoes and socks in Penneys back in Jan. She said he didn't look too happy with her while he put them on. Looks like he's lost them since then :rolleyes:

Scam or Not?

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