Money Scams!

[grand_canyon]

There was a guy on tv that would hold up a sign on the street corner and say he was broke and homeless (pan handling) once he collected enough money he'd go over to his Jeep Cherokee and change out of his grunge clothes and put on his Dockers and polo shirt and drive off. He would do this on weekends so they figured he's was getting party money. They couldn't do anything about it since he wasn't doing anything illegal.

[GoodBuyGirl]

I used to work at a hotel. We used to get people who would come in and say that their child was outside and they haven't eaten for 3 days and ask if we could help.
Every time we would tell them to bring their child inside and we would give them some food. None of them ever came back in to feed their child.

[kork13]

I used to work at a hotel. We used to get people who would come in and say that their child was outside and they haven't eaten for 3 days and ask if we could help.
Every time we would tell them to bring their child inside and we would give them some food. None of them ever came back in to feed their child.

I've seen/heard many stories similar to this one... A friend was in DC for a conference, went out to a restaurant, and the portions were so large it was enough for 2 full meals. He ate his fill, then got the rest of it in a box. Walking back to his hotel, a guy came up to him asking for money so he could go buy some food. Without a thought, he offered the guy his box of food from the restaurant (still warm, even). The guy took it, but the next morning my friend walked by the same area to find his box of food (still taped shut from the restaurant) sitting in a trash bin. ....it's sad, really.... he was probably just looking for cash to get booze, cigarettes, or whatever else...

[neatdesign]

I never had a car when I lived in Santiago, Chile so I always took buses everywhere. Every 3-4 months I'd be on a bus and see a couple of clowns -- literally, they were men dressed as clowns -- hop on the bus. One would stand at the front of the bus and hold up a photo of another clown and start dramatically talking about how this man had died suddenly and left behind a widow and several small children, etc. The other clown would walk down the aisle with his hat out so people could drop money in as a "donation" to help keep the widow and her children from starving to death.

The clowns would then get off the bus at the next stop and get on to the next bus. During my 2 years in Santiago, I never once saw a bus driver refuse them passage or charge them for the ride.

There are hundreds of buses in Santiago running every day, and I saw this happen every few months, and I'm just one person. There are 5 million people in Santiago, so obviously this clown panhandling gig was not an isolated incident. Who knows how many hundreds (thousands?) of people they approached with this gimmick. And yet, there were ALWAYS people who gave them money.

That's what I never understood. Did they give money because they truly believed the clowns' story? Or because they just wanted them to leave them alone? (I always turned away and they never bothered me, so clearly that was an option for others as well.) Or because Chileans are just more charitable with their money? Or maybe it was simply because they were the most creative?!

~ Jenney

[Rainelli]

oh yeah this is a total scam,there are many person who used to doing this scam for you to have pity on them and then later on you might discover that it was just part of the play..

[m3racer]

I left out that part out of my story to keep it PG

And it's a Sig, not a Glock

LOL..

[m3racer]

On a brighter note, all these rejects/vagrants/idiots/etc. get tax breaks courtesy of Obama and our lame ass congress. Hooray!!!!!

[Ronin]

I would have pulled out my Glock and told him to beat it.

That would go over well when the police come to your house and arrest you for brandishing.

[mia27walla]

where i live everyday i get dodgy people after money. they give you a story, same every time like "need to make a phone call" i think cut the carp and just ask.

[boosami]

That would go over well when the police come to your house and arrest you for brandishing.

Some states don't have a law on simply "brandishing" a weapon. Pointing it at someone, yes... But displaying it no.

[Ronin]

Some states don't have a law on simply "brandishing" a weapon. Pointing it at someone, yes... But displaying it no.

Well if someone was simply trying to peacefully scam money and you pulled out a Glock and displayed that, it would be a brandishing charge at least in California. If the gun was pointed at him then it would upgrade to assault with a deadly weapon. Everyone acts so bad ass on forums, its kinda funny.

[m3racer]

Give me a break! There are so many ways around that. One can always say he was attempting to physically assault you.

[simpleyme]

Well if someone was simply trying to peacefully scam money and you pulled out a Glock and displayed that, it would be a brandishing charge at least in California. If the gun was pointed at him then it would upgrade to assault with a deadly weapon. Everyone acts so bad ass on forums, its kinda funny.

you forgot to ad that everyone also act self righteous and all knowing ;-) not sure how you can tell which scammers are peaceful and which are not

honestly if a scam artist tells the cops you pointed a gun at him, you just say you did not

[m3racer]

As I pulled into my driveway, a man pulled in after me and got out of his beat up car as I did.

If someone follows you home than its pretty serious IMO. This is not an incident while you're at the local convenience store. 2 totally different circumstances.

[m3racer]

Everyone acts so bad ass on forums, its kinda funny.

Speak for yourself. I have no problem defending MY property and MY life.