Ever been scammed/grifted/had?

Shakespeare's Sister · 26-09-2014 09:59PM #1

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 · 26-09-2014 10:05PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:05PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:07PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:10PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:13PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:14PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:16PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:16PM

Grifted? Yeah, once in the fifties.

iMac_Hunt · 26-09-2014 10:16PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:17PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:18PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:18PM

holystungun9 wrote: »

Grifted? Yeah, once in the fifties.

Now you're on the trolley.

punisher5112 · 26-09-2014 10:20PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:22PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:23PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:23PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:24PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:25PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:25PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:25PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:27PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:27PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:29PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:29PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:30PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:31PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:31PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:33PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:36PM

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 · 26-09-2014 10:38PM

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.

Ever been scammed/grifted/had?

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