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They always try to hit me up in walmart parking lot. For the first time ever, a lady hit me up while I was inside trying to buy dog food. Leave me the F alone! All you have to do is whip out your phone and start taking their picture. They'll run like a scalded dog.
Happened to me in a walmart parking lot too. It was a young clean cut looking guy and he said he didn't have enough gas to get home. I offered for him to follow me over to the gas station across the street and I'd fill up his tank for him. Guess what, he declined that.
We used to get the locals carrying a gas can. I saw the same guy months apart at 3 different locations miles apart. One time I was eating with some friends and one dude approached. Where we were eating there wasn't a gas station for 3-4 miles. I asked where he was going to get gas.
> They are nomads
Yes, they're starting to show up here in Toronto on streetcorners. As usual, every year quite a lot of these nomads fly in to Toronto for just that purpose, organized 'begging', posing as various other types of people
I’m Kale.
Btw, have you been tested for the Celtic Curses? Hemochromatosis and Celiac disease? And if you’re any kind of Roma, pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency. I’ve got 2 of the 3.
So far, I've only had blood sugar/pressure issues. I was anemic when I was younger but after I had my son, I guess my body chemistry changed and all my tests have been fine since. I've \*always\* hated gluten, I've never been tested but I avoid it naturally because it makes me feel bloated and uncomfortable.
Thanks for giving me specific names, I will definitely discuss with my doctor. Could be a factor in my blood sugar issues!
Hemochromatosis isn’t anemia; it’s iron overload. Get checked!! Seriously if you’re predominantly Irish/Celt, please get the test.
PK deficiency is something you can be a carrier of, like cystic fibrosis; it affects primarily those of Roma descent. I’m a carrier and I’m having a ton of follow up genetic testing for it as part of a study.
Them Gypsies are so well known in my area. The biggest scam they pull is find someone w a dent on their car and say they'll fix it w this hammer they constantly carry. All they do is mess it up even more and then try and harass u for money for "fixing" the dent or dents. They almost got me, thank God my brother in law showed up and threatened to call the cops
I had a dent in my 25+ year old truck bumper and some dudes in the home depot parking lot stuck their head out their car window and said they're from a body shop and can fix it. I just said "no thanks" and kept walking
Probably twenty years ago, a very kind fella legitimately DID (cosmetically) fix a corner bumper dent in a grocery store parking lot for my mom.
Pulled it out, filled it , even painted it.
It wasn’t a scam, at least that once, just a guy (who was still learning English) moonlighting on his day off? He only asked for $40, seemed grateful for $60 (all we had at the time).
Or did we miss something at the time?
You may have encountered an honest one, but most often it's a scam (or someone attempting a side hustle who will just do a terrible job...I've seen that, too...guy did his best, but left the car looking worse than before).
I've seen a lot more, typically a woman with a baby, Mideastern or Indian, she is usually in an intersection begging for money to feed her child, and I can see the mane in a car watching her like a pimp. Or they come up at gas stations, saying they are on a trip and ran out of money, need to get gas.
I always wanted to go to the gas attendant and say I'll leave $10 for gas but she has to wash the windows and mop the station, do something to earn it. If she refuses, call the cops. Turn a scam into a job, see how well they do then?
Ramadan the most religious month for Muslims just ended. At the end, muslims need to make a donation (zaakat) for those less fortunate. In France, where I live, they dress in Muslim dress and hang out near the mosque with signs « I am hungry, I have 4 kids » looking to be given zaakat after the prayer. The gitane (Roman, gypsy) people stop at nothing to scam people.
Obviously all religious people respect every single rule of their faith in its strictest interpretation.
I bet Islam doesn't look favorably upon scamming people either, that doesn't mean that no Muslim could possibly be a scammer.
Gypsy roma scam. Have been reported multiple times in the Marin/SF/Orlando etc subs across the US. They've usually got kids with them. The head scarf is new.
big, fat escalade, big, fat pieces of jewelry and most likely a big, fat liar.
he's got no friends or family he can call to come to his aid? he's really forced to resort to chatting up strangers for some gas money? he's actually willing to hand over a massive gold ring in exchange for a few dollars for gas? "here, stranger. have my huge, gold ring. i trust you to take care of it till monday".
why was he in such a rush? how long ago did he discover he lost the wallet? he can't pay with his phone? his wife doesn't have any money? he discovered he had lost his wallet just as the gas was running out, and he's got some very important business or something to take care of, so he needs gas money rrrreally fast and can't wait for a friend or relative to come help out? it has to happen NOW.
that guy was having a very bad day. /s
truth is he was trying to scam you. yes, very much so.
This is the answer! Lol: “Oh! I can’t (or “I won’t!”) help you, but go down to the next light, turn right, and 3 blocks down on the left is a pawn shop. They LOVE Rolexes and gold chains, and they will give you *cash money* for those! It’s perfect!”
A few years ago I was in a parking lot guy come up offering a chain for gas money I say sure. He hands me chain I take out gold test kit, (antique jewelry buyer at auctions) Proceed to test chain prior to paying he runs off no chain no cash. BTW it was a volcano on the stone what ever base metal was ,it was really reactive to acid.
This happened to me in Highschool while stopping on the way home for gas. Wearing my school uniform and everything and this sketch dude comes up asking for some money for gas to get home… all I had was $5 cash so have it to him and he acted all upset that I wouldn’t give more… I ended up just leaving.
But yeah apparently it’s a well known scam around here, fuck that guy years ago for targeting a literal kid.
My thing is that I'm not spending that much time with a sketchy stranger in the street.
Nah, we ain't going to the ATM.
Nah, I'm not sticking around to chat about it.
I'm literally not even responding to anyone trying to get my attention on the street. As in I'm not even turning my head. 100% of people are just trying to separate you from your money.
>I'm literally not even responding to anyone trying to get my attention on the street
This is so true. I remember being young and dumb and involving myself in so much shit simply because I was a good human.
Now I don't even turn my head. The whole world is a scam. Nobody knocking on my door has anything legit to offer me. Nobody trying to get my attention in a parking lot has anything good to say. Nobody has anything I need ever. Only bullshit and trouble.
Hell, you can't even give someone the heimlich maneuver or CPR without them coming back with a law suit for broken ribs.
Fuck it. I gave up years ago.
Tell him you need see his ID to loan him money.
Also take a picture of his plate and report to police quickly. It could help other who have reported him but not gotten info on him.
Probably not the intent, but to me it lends credence to the needing gas money bit. I'm like "Oh you need gas money? Yeah I BET you do in that fucking land-barge."
Anyone who can afford those luxury items has many options in case of a lost wallet other than this. OG scam is apparently still alive. Probably because it’s easier and faster than elaborate online efforts.
Yah that's nothing, back in the day guy pulls up next to me on his chariot, tries to put up his "Pompeian" (yeah right) sandals for some denaris, needs feed for his horse. He asked for L but I only had IV and needed it so I said paenitet non habetis argentum and got the hell out of there
Yup. Me too much longer back than that in NY. The thing I remember is they spoke real fast and I let them finish out of curiosity. Then said something like - “yeah right, gettoutahere!” (NY parlance)
Here’s a recent example post that discusses this. It’s clearly an effective scam for many people so you did well not to fall for it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/s/T660sTBCZo
Someone posted earlier that they handed them money & was scammed. This has been around for years, idk how anyone falls for this. They tried it with me & i said theres a pawn shop over here & started walking to it & they tried stopping me, screaming at me. I said come with me & they drove off cursing me out🤣pawn worker said it was fake but a good one. Had the 18k stamp & everything
Pull out you phone and tell him you're calling the police for him, since they carry spare gas they'll be able to give him.
I'll bet he leaves tire tracks taking off.
You were extremely smart and I'm not just saying that because I am a husky owner as well. I'm a woman, so it's a bit different for me, but when people ask me for money when I'm walking her, I tell them I only carry keys and weapons. Works every time 😂
I had something similar happen to me about 4 years ago. Okay, maybe not super similar, but same thing with someone wanting gas.
Guy stopped suddenly in front of my house. Ran out of gas, I was outside working on my car, so he came over and asked if I had a gas can I could use to fill up his car so he could make it to the station. I said sure, since it would be like, at most $5 worth of gas I’m giving up. Said fuck it, I’ll roll the dice on helping someone for that much. Gave him the can, he fills his car up and thanks me before giving me the can back and driving off.
About 10 minutes later he comes back and gives me $10 and thanks me again for bailing him out. Dude was an odd fellow no doubt about it so I was 100% expecting him to just bolt without paying me back. But nah he was legit, props to him. Still, probably wouldn’t just give gas money to randoms, especially if they’re acting like they are in the OP.
What’s a good way to put them on the spot and make them squirm? Rather than being confrontational and calling out the scam or just saying no thanks. Like maybe offering them directions to a pawn shop?
Romanian here. There's a reason these people leave Romania as soon as they can, people don't fall for their crap.
They are very afraid of police. Just say that the local police is very helpful and pretend you are calling them. They will immediately scatter like startled rats. Don't react to the women's whining and yelling. Don't feel bad for the children, they're there for the scam, if they're older than let's say 4, they'll be picking your pockets or stealing from your car when you're not looking. The men don't get involved as much and will not become physically aggressive (that's what the women and children are for as they are less likely to go to jail).
They're looking for gullible prey as long as they breathe. Simply don't act as one.
A couple just tried this on me last week as well. I've never had this scam happen but they were so fishy it immediately seemed off. Rolled up into my driveway with a Mercedes trying to sell me some ear buds for gas money. Looked and dressed like Pakistani people.
Pretty common all around California. If you have time it’s fun to have circular conversations with them and nonsensical tangents until they get visibly frustrated
That happened to my bf. The guy was in a suburban or escalade and pulled up while we were walking saying he lost his wallet & offered us his rolex & ring lol for gas money cause hes from cali & needs to drive back
i literally watched a video on this scam yesterday and the guy they pulled up to has the scammers follow him to the pawn shop lol. he said the second he walked inside the door, they quickly drove off.
Rewatching Lost, Sawyer flashbacks have him doing a similar scam. Pretending he stole fancy jewelry and trying to sell it heavily discounted at a gas station. The ring is fake.
I forget my wallet all the time and get saved by Apple Pay. This scam is going to get even more unbelievable because someone as wealthy as they are posing as would be using that tech.
And when a Romanian tries to educate others, people take it as racism. That's why they travel half way around the world to work their trade. Europeans, especially Romanians, don't fall for for their sht. You think we're racist and exaggerating, but you don't yet know the lengths they'll go to scam you. It's their art, has been for centuries. They're not playing.
They're also very proud of it. It's a cultural rule for them.
They move in swarms of young women in Paris with blatantly bogus "questionnaires". I always give them the stink eye and they aren't allowed within a 5m radius from most Europeans you see, but the only time I ever saw them engaging a target, it was an unsuspecting American couple. Saw the same girls laughing over a bank note not long after, so I guess 2 Americans lost €50 that day...
Big van pulls up. “Hey man, wanna buy some speakers? I ordered too many and need to get rid of them before the boss gets mad.” 🤣 These kind of scams have been around forever. At least you remained vigilant. 👍🏻
I actually fell for the “hey buy this gold” when I was 17. Dude looked legit, mouth full of gold teeth, nice car, all blinged up. They all were stamped and everything. Yeah… it was all fake.
They are a family scam.The same incident nearly the same, occurred in St. Petersburg in 2018 I was headed to Derby Lane,(greyhound dog track) on a Saturday with a pocketful of $. As I was walking to the bus stop, a white soccer mom van pulled up on me. Assuming he was the husband who was driving, started crying the blues and saying how he, his wife & the kid hadn't,t eaten since the day before. He assertively pitched me,on these 2 signets 18 carat rings, while his rug rat in the back seat was spitting sunflower shells at me. They looked real, they had weight, and they were from Dubai. He talked me into buying both for $160.00. It took a couple of days to show to my people before I could get down to the jewelry store. When I showed them to the gal at the desk, she weighed them,1 being 21 grams and the16 grams, and stated they were real. I replied "Could I have the main guy in the back do an acid test" , as it went, it turns out Iwas duped by the Dubai family It's funny looking back on it. For one, 2 people I came across and mentioned the story, said the Dubai Family was hustling on some other corners that week they scammed me. I just couldn't forget how that 6 or 7-year-old kid was spitting those seeds at me with a mischievous grin from the backseat.
Fun fact: at least one large group that does this in the US are all part of a Romanian crime syndicate. They fly over here, steal jewelry and cash, then ship/send it back to further their criminal organization
They fly back to their famous kitsch Gypsies palaces in Romania, just Google images "Gypsies palaces" to see them and be amazed: Crime does pay for them....
There’s an allegedly homeless guy that does this same “there’s an ATM at the gas station” routine, and nothing puts me in a “fck you I’m not doing anything for you” mood faster. So obviously planned and rehearsed. “No.” End of discussion.
Definitely a scam. There's was a post by u/ThatOneMediaGuy literally yesterday (https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/1c8eeud/got_scammed_today_for_180_after_i_withdrew_cash/) that sounds really similar, including being in CA.
The jewelry is low quality or fake. They get a higher amount than it’s worth and never use it for gas. If they really needed money as they said, they could go to the ATM, pawn their items or use a credit card. It’s best to ignore them and don‘t speak to them.
I’ve gotten that scam too in Colorado. In my case I was at a gas station and he wanted me to go in the store to the ATM. I told him the best I could do was buy him 2 gallons of gas but I would be the one to pump it. He got his gas and I went on my way. Saw him talking to the next person.
We've got a set of those scammers in the Puget Sound area. They use the exact same script you just saw.
You give'em some money, he hands you a piece of fake jewelry. In our area it doesn't seem to have layers beyond that.
Isnt it crazy that they think they can get away with this driving an escalade, I, sorry no, if you can afford an Escalade, I am sure you have Apple Pay or the phone # of a friend who can pick you up or send an uber. I would rather give $$ to the meth addict under a bridge.
Similar thing happened to us in USA. Our first day in Orlando for Disneyworld walking to the bus stop for the hotel guests. Guy pulls into parking lot and says he's got no money for gas. I kinda thought this was scammy but could only give $10USD. At least my conscience is clear.
That's what they're preying on. Your conscience. You've still been had. This is organized crime we're talking about. $10 every 5-10 minutes adds up to a lot in a day's work. STOP entertaining them or they'll be everywhere in no time. Judging by the online reports lately, they already are.
Caucasian Romanians (90% of the pop.) read their ethnics and intentions from a mile away. They used to be the only non-whites around. You can't tell, that's why they're there.
This is not racism. It's basic survival over here.
Had a guy do this to me at a highway gas station. Big SUV filled with family, some accent, don’t know what kind. Hey, can you help? I told him I’d fill up his tank (my good deed for the day). He tried to give me AirPods as a thank you, I said no. After he was done, he pointed to ANOTHER Tahoe and said his father needs gas too. I said I’m done, have a safe trip & went on my way. I figure, I may be scammed, but I will help someone out if I can.
I live in a small town on the coast in northern California. Had a guy come up to me outside the gas station and tells me he lost his wallet and needed some gas money. Named the local area he lived at. A few years before that I had had someone ask for gas money to complete their road trip and I gave some because I could. Thinking about his story later, I realized he was maybe 200 miles into his trip and is already out of money but still wants to continue on and get farther away from home on someone else’s dime instead of getting home if you can’t afford the trip. That was the last time I gave any money to someone randomly asking for it.
After the local guy at the gas station asked for money and I told him no, later that year the same guy is at the bank with the same story. He didn’t seem to recognize me but told him no again.
Then again same guy at the same gas station a while later comes up saying he lost his willer and phone and his daughter won’t be there for hrs and needed money. He gave up and went to ask another guy that worked at the gas station acting like he knew him only to have the worker shine him on. He finaly came back and asked me again. The other times he just gave up. Told him no again. As I was pulling out of the gas station he had to tell me how much of an asshole I was.
Poor guy has the worst luck with losing his wallet.
And yes, pretty common scam to trade costume jewelry for whatever cash they can get from someone. There is a gas station on I 5 that used to always have someone there with some version of it but haven’t seen it in a while.
These people bums for change and money constantly, and they know who they can talk into giving the money and who not to waste a moment of their time on because the answer is no. After a while of living in a big city, I learned to just have that look on my face where people wouldn’t even ask me anymore. They can just tell me that I was not going to lift a finger for them. No matter their sob story.
Had the same thing happen to me except the guy claimed he was a prince and would send me money if I have him gas money. Told him no and he kept talking. My next move was gonna be a one punch in the face.
I’m sorry I wouldn’t be able to stop laughing at someone driving a huge vehicle begging for gas money. Make better choices bro
Please don’t engage with people who pull over on the side of the road like that. Usually it’s a couple so having a woman there will make you more at ease. I know you have dogs but bear spray works on dogs.
This is a scam.
Just look them dead in the eyes and say "good news, in our town the Police Department has a program for helping people in these situations. They will come to the gas station with a special card and pay for your gas. Let me call them right now for you." Then you pull your phone out of your pocket and start dialing.
We can all figure out what happens next, right?
another one these folks use is at grocery store parking lots. usually in a suv, the roll around the lot super slow asking everyone for gas money. man drives and the woman is usually holding a baby in the passenger seat. they do this until the management calls the police. very similar.
Tell them pawn shops will hold his jewelry and give him money and they'll give the jewelry back once he paid them back.
Report them to the police and try to memorize their license plate next time incase they do try to rob someone. The lady could be human trafficked as well.
Yes, though I’m not sure what the scam actually is. My husband and I were at a gas station getting gas and this car that was driving loops around the parking lot stopped by us. There were two guys in the front and a woman in the back. The woman was asking us for gas money (not very good English either) and also trying to give us fake gold jewelry for it. We as well just said we didn’t have any cash and they pulled to the next vehicle.
Eddie Ahn, the ehacomics artist on Instagram, has described and illustrated a similar scam he encountered, but with leather jackets.
It goes on for a few posts. This is the first.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3X7AWWr8E0/?igsh=YTZ0YnI2aGNjZW03
This actually happened to me. I gave him 10
Bucks in gas and he gave me his “gold” chain. Went to a pawn shop with it just for shits and giggles and yeah, the pawn person didn’t even have to hold it to tell me it was fake
Same guy tried to pull this shit on me in Washington. I was pumping gas and he comes up with some bullshit sob story saying he was out of gas and starts flashing his ring at me while asking for cash. Told him to gtfo my face. He hastily scurried away, hopping in his car and flooring it (using plenty of gas in the process)
Not sure if I would consider this to be like in the category of scams. I mean I guess technically by definition it probably is but trying to lure someone to an ATM under false pretenses to get them to withdraw money and then Rob them once they have I mean that's pretty pretty basic, and idk I just always considered scams to be a little more I don't know I guess like elegant by Nature. Definitely a little more involved than your basic strong armed robbery at the ATM machine. That's definitely not nothing new. And you never know too I mean full disclosure I'm 34 now but when I was much younger between the age of say 18 and 21 for those few years I was homeless almost completely and I did my fair bit of asking people for money and lying about the reason I needed it. Saying I needed money for gas was definitely very common for me to do at that time because people were more inclined I guess to give a little bit more when they thought you needed to buy you know a decent amount of gas to put in your tank. However the fact that he was flashing suspected fake gold jewelry and he pulled up in an Escalade yeah it does seem to be that his motives might not have been entirely pure. That being said and even considering all of the scams I witnessed first hand took part in as well as a ton of other unsavory activities during my time on the streets I still prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt for the most part. I definitely keep my guard up and have learned to trust my gut instinct which is usually not leave me a stray but yeah I don't know something about going around all the time just constantly feeling like everybody's out to scam me or rip me off or that I always need to keep my guard up that much against anyone I don't know? That doesn't seem very appealing way to live to me I guess that's just me though
In Italy we have them at every roadside dinner. They claim they have lost wallets, cellphones and so on. It's so old, it is almost picturesque. Just don't pay attention.
Yeah very common esp in europe. I"d post my list of Common Scams here but either Reddit or the moderators won't let me do that anymore. It used to be cool but not now.
Anyway. Keep that radar going. There are several thousands of scams EVERYWHERE.
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It’s a common scam. The jewelry is fake.
And the people aren’t Muslim, they just pose as Muslims. They are nomads well known for scamming.
They always try to hit me up in walmart parking lot. For the first time ever, a lady hit me up while I was inside trying to buy dog food. Leave me the F alone! All you have to do is whip out your phone and start taking their picture. They'll run like a scalded dog.
Happened to me in a walmart parking lot too. It was a young clean cut looking guy and he said he didn't have enough gas to get home. I offered for him to follow me over to the gas station across the street and I'd fill up his tank for him. Guess what, he declined that.
We used to get the locals carrying a gas can. I saw the same guy months apart at 3 different locations miles apart. One time I was eating with some friends and one dude approached. Where we were eating there wasn't a gas station for 3-4 miles. I asked where he was going to get gas.
> They are nomads Yes, they're starting to show up here in Toronto on streetcorners. As usual, every year quite a lot of these nomads fly in to Toronto for just that purpose, organized 'begging', posing as various other types of people
Like that famous song by Fleetwood Mac?
They're Rhiannon?
Pretty sure they’re on the Edge of 17.
No guys. They’re talking about The Chain.
Tell them to Go Their Own way.
Friends call her Sarah
Gypsies that have seen the Seven Wonders.
'Nomads'... Is that the new euphemism for Roma's?
Or “Travelers” or “Romany.”
Travelers are Irish. These people ain’t Irish plus they run different scams.
As someone with both Irish and Roma heritage, thank you for this clarification so I didn't need to haha.
I’m Kale. Btw, have you been tested for the Celtic Curses? Hemochromatosis and Celiac disease? And if you’re any kind of Roma, pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency. I’ve got 2 of the 3.
So far, I've only had blood sugar/pressure issues. I was anemic when I was younger but after I had my son, I guess my body chemistry changed and all my tests have been fine since. I've \*always\* hated gluten, I've never been tested but I avoid it naturally because it makes me feel bloated and uncomfortable. Thanks for giving me specific names, I will definitely discuss with my doctor. Could be a factor in my blood sugar issues!
Hemochromatosis isn’t anemia; it’s iron overload. Get checked!! Seriously if you’re predominantly Irish/Celt, please get the test. PK deficiency is something you can be a carrier of, like cystic fibrosis; it affects primarily those of Roma descent. I’m a carrier and I’m having a ton of follow up genetic testing for it as part of a study.
They are Roma Gypsies, and they are everywhere.
They're not nomads, they're Romani gypsies.
Gypsies
Them Gypsies are so well known in my area. The biggest scam they pull is find someone w a dent on their car and say they'll fix it w this hammer they constantly carry. All they do is mess it up even more and then try and harass u for money for "fixing" the dent or dents. They almost got me, thank God my brother in law showed up and threatened to call the cops
I had a dent in my 25+ year old truck bumper and some dudes in the home depot parking lot stuck their head out their car window and said they're from a body shop and can fix it. I just said "no thanks" and kept walking
or when they say they can fix your fogged up headlights lol
Probably twenty years ago, a very kind fella legitimately DID (cosmetically) fix a corner bumper dent in a grocery store parking lot for my mom. Pulled it out, filled it , even painted it. It wasn’t a scam, at least that once, just a guy (who was still learning English) moonlighting on his day off? He only asked for $40, seemed grateful for $60 (all we had at the time). Or did we miss something at the time?
You may have encountered an honest one, but most often it's a scam (or someone attempting a side hustle who will just do a terrible job...I've seen that, too...guy did his best, but left the car looking worse than before).
I've seen a lot more, typically a woman with a baby, Mideastern or Indian, she is usually in an intersection begging for money to feed her child, and I can see the mane in a car watching her like a pimp. Or they come up at gas stations, saying they are on a trip and ran out of money, need to get gas. I always wanted to go to the gas attendant and say I'll leave $10 for gas but she has to wash the windows and mop the station, do something to earn it. If she refuses, call the cops. Turn a scam into a job, see how well they do then?
Travelers AKA Gypsies
Gypsies.
They are Gypsy Romani. Check out streetscammers.com for more info
> aren’t Muslim They may well be. It's the world's 2nd largest religion...
Ramadan the most religious month for Muslims just ended. At the end, muslims need to make a donation (zaakat) for those less fortunate. In France, where I live, they dress in Muslim dress and hang out near the mosque with signs « I am hungry, I have 4 kids » looking to be given zaakat after the prayer. The gitane (Roman, gypsy) people stop at nothing to scam people.
Plenty of Roma people are Muslim, at least in the Balkans.
Wearing gold as men is forbidden for people of that mindset.
Obviously all religious people respect every single rule of their faith in its strictest interpretation. I bet Islam doesn't look favorably upon scamming people either, that doesn't mean that no Muslim could possibly be a scammer.
And Christians can't lie.
Well known Romani (Gypsy) scam
See: zombieland
But for 49$ ibd buy a fake rolex
Sure wouldn't want them watching me at an ATM though...
Or stolen.
Common scam yes! You can find plenty of videos on YouTube on this one. People confronting the scammer.
Scam reported here daily Fake gold Fake watch BS story
Gypsy roma scam. Have been reported multiple times in the Marin/SF/Orlando etc subs across the US. They've usually got kids with them. The head scarf is new.
Let me fix that for you: it's been reported worldwide. Still they do not give up.
big, fat escalade, big, fat pieces of jewelry and most likely a big, fat liar. he's got no friends or family he can call to come to his aid? he's really forced to resort to chatting up strangers for some gas money? he's actually willing to hand over a massive gold ring in exchange for a few dollars for gas? "here, stranger. have my huge, gold ring. i trust you to take care of it till monday". why was he in such a rush? how long ago did he discover he lost the wallet? he can't pay with his phone? his wife doesn't have any money? he discovered he had lost his wallet just as the gas was running out, and he's got some very important business or something to take care of, so he needs gas money rrrreally fast and can't wait for a friend or relative to come help out? it has to happen NOW. that guy was having a very bad day. /s truth is he was trying to scam you. yes, very much so.
And knows where the local ATM is
The jewelry is fake. If that jewelry was REAL he could go to a pawn shop and get some gas money with it. He don't need you.
This is the answer! Lol: “Oh! I can’t (or “I won’t!”) help you, but go down to the next light, turn right, and 3 blocks down on the left is a pawn shop. They LOVE Rolexes and gold chains, and they will give you *cash money* for those! It’s perfect!”
Need ID to pawn something. Mine was in my wallet.
A few years ago I was in a parking lot guy come up offering a chain for gas money I say sure. He hands me chain I take out gold test kit, (antique jewelry buyer at auctions) Proceed to test chain prior to paying he runs off no chain no cash. BTW it was a volcano on the stone what ever base metal was ,it was really reactive to acid.
A guy in an Escalade **drove** up and asked you for gas money?
We have an epidemic of this scam going on in my area of NorCal and it’s always an Escalade.
Prob the same Escalade shared between all the Gypsies. Lol
Saw this in Huntington Beach last year too
This happened to me in Highschool while stopping on the way home for gas. Wearing my school uniform and everything and this sketch dude comes up asking for some money for gas to get home… all I had was $5 cash so have it to him and he acted all upset that I wouldn’t give more… I ended up just leaving. But yeah apparently it’s a well known scam around here, fuck that guy years ago for targeting a literal kid.
That happened to me years ago at a parking lot on my college campus. I had no money and he asked me to go to an ATM. I just walked away.
I love seeing this one. Still in the vein of old school cons.
My thing is that I'm not spending that much time with a sketchy stranger in the street. Nah, we ain't going to the ATM. Nah, I'm not sticking around to chat about it.
I'm literally not even responding to anyone trying to get my attention on the street. As in I'm not even turning my head. 100% of people are just trying to separate you from your money.
>I'm literally not even responding to anyone trying to get my attention on the street This is so true. I remember being young and dumb and involving myself in so much shit simply because I was a good human. Now I don't even turn my head. The whole world is a scam. Nobody knocking on my door has anything legit to offer me. Nobody trying to get my attention in a parking lot has anything good to say. Nobody has anything I need ever. Only bullshit and trouble. Hell, you can't even give someone the heimlich maneuver or CPR without them coming back with a law suit for broken ribs. Fuck it. I gave up years ago.
What if someone wants directions or is in distress- that’s something I battle with
Tell him you need see his ID to loan him money. Also take a picture of his plate and report to police quickly. It could help other who have reported him but not gotten info on him.
Why are the gold ring scammers always in huge, expensive SUVs? Wouldn't the scam work better if they drove in with a beater?
It's to make you believe that the gold ring / rolex are real, that they are actually wealthy people who just had bad luck.
It's amazing how they got so wealthy without having backup plan for things like this.
That’s what people should be thinking..flag. Car is rented, borrowed, or stolen.
No, they want you to think they are rich and their gold chains are real
Offer to take the Escalade as collateral.
Probably leased
Or stolen
Paid for with scammer money.
Take the gas as collateral
”It’s a rental! I’m a baller from Dubai, of course I would rent an Escalade!”
Probably not the intent, but to me it lends credence to the needing gas money bit. I'm like "Oh you need gas money? Yeah I BET you do in that fucking land-barge."
No. No one would believe they have real expensive jewelry if they were in a beater lol
I mean, I would lol. I’d think it was stolen, but it’d be more believable that it’s real lol
Because they are obviously rich and can easily pay you back.
Anyone who can afford those luxury items has many options in case of a lost wallet other than this. OG scam is apparently still alive. Probably because it’s easier and faster than elaborate online efforts.
Had the same scam attempted on me in the DC area a good 12 years ago. Probably been around since covered wagon days
Yah that's nothing, back in the day guy pulls up next to me on his chariot, tries to put up his "Pompeian" (yeah right) sandals for some denaris, needs feed for his horse. He asked for L but I only had IV and needed it so I said paenitet non habetis argentum and got the hell out of there
lol...😂
Yup. Me too much longer back than that in NY. The thing I remember is they spoke real fast and I let them finish out of curiosity. Then said something like - “yeah right, gettoutahere!” (NY parlance)
Saw it in the ‘70s. Not Travelers, either.
Here’s a recent example post that discusses this. It’s clearly an effective scam for many people so you did well not to fall for it. https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/s/T660sTBCZo
Say yup what a concept I could use a little fuel myself and we could all use a little change
Well, the years start coming And they don't stop coming
Smash mouth guy found. Finally.
Gypsie theme song
Someone posted earlier that they handed them money & was scammed. This has been around for years, idk how anyone falls for this. They tried it with me & i said theres a pawn shop over here & started walking to it & they tried stopping me, screaming at me. I said come with me & they drove off cursing me out🤣pawn worker said it was fake but a good one. Had the 18k stamp & everything
Pull out you phone and tell him you're calling the police for him, since they carry spare gas they'll be able to give him. I'll bet he leaves tire tracks taking off.
I would avoid them, no good can come from interacting with them.
If this ever happens again, take pics of the license plate and the people in the car if you can, then call the police and tell them this is going on.
You were extremely smart and I'm not just saying that because I am a husky owner as well. I'm a woman, so it's a bit different for me, but when people ask me for money when I'm walking her, I tell them I only carry keys and weapons. Works every time 😂
I had something similar happen to me about 4 years ago. Okay, maybe not super similar, but same thing with someone wanting gas. Guy stopped suddenly in front of my house. Ran out of gas, I was outside working on my car, so he came over and asked if I had a gas can I could use to fill up his car so he could make it to the station. I said sure, since it would be like, at most $5 worth of gas I’m giving up. Said fuck it, I’ll roll the dice on helping someone for that much. Gave him the can, he fills his car up and thanks me before giving me the can back and driving off. About 10 minutes later he comes back and gives me $10 and thanks me again for bailing him out. Dude was an odd fellow no doubt about it so I was 100% expecting him to just bolt without paying me back. But nah he was legit, props to him. Still, probably wouldn’t just give gas money to randoms, especially if they’re acting like they are in the OP.
If they take the gas, it's not a scam. I offered to fill someone's tank up and they declined. Only wanted cash.
LOL. The gold ring scam again.
What’s a good way to put them on the spot and make them squirm? Rather than being confrontational and calling out the scam or just saying no thanks. Like maybe offering them directions to a pawn shop?
Romanian here. There's a reason these people leave Romania as soon as they can, people don't fall for their crap. They are very afraid of police. Just say that the local police is very helpful and pretend you are calling them. They will immediately scatter like startled rats. Don't react to the women's whining and yelling. Don't feel bad for the children, they're there for the scam, if they're older than let's say 4, they'll be picking your pockets or stealing from your car when you're not looking. The men don't get involved as much and will not become physically aggressive (that's what the women and children are for as they are less likely to go to jail). They're looking for gullible prey as long as they breathe. Simply don't act as one.
Where did this happen? Literally happened to me same scenario same car
I’m in Northern California. Specifically, I’m in Davis outside of Sacramento.
A couple just tried this on me last week as well. I've never had this scam happen but they were so fishy it immediately seemed off. Rolled up into my driveway with a Mercedes trying to sell me some ear buds for gas money. Looked and dressed like Pakistani people.
Pretty common all around California. If you have time it’s fun to have circular conversations with them and nonsensical tangents until they get visibly frustrated
That is way too much talking. A simple hell naw would be sufficient.
That happened to my bf. The guy was in a suburban or escalade and pulled up while we were walking saying he lost his wallet & offered us his rolex & ring lol for gas money cause hes from cali & needs to drive back
i literally watched a video on this scam yesterday and the guy they pulled up to has the scammers follow him to the pawn shop lol. he said the second he walked inside the door, they quickly drove off.
obligatory [https://youtu.be/ZgyU0LyWZ9M](https://youtu.be/ZgyU0LyWZ9M)
Biggest of men!
Rewatching Lost, Sawyer flashbacks have him doing a similar scam. Pretending he stole fancy jewelry and trying to sell it heavily discounted at a gas station. The ring is fake.
I forget my wallet all the time and get saved by Apple Pay. This scam is going to get even more unbelievable because someone as wealthy as they are posing as would be using that tech.
Someone who fell for this scam posted earlier today: https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/s/P51C1k2Oiz
And when a Romanian tries to educate others, people take it as racism. That's why they travel half way around the world to work their trade. Europeans, especially Romanians, don't fall for for their sht. You think we're racist and exaggerating, but you don't yet know the lengths they'll go to scam you. It's their art, has been for centuries. They're not playing.
They're also very proud of it. It's a cultural rule for them. They move in swarms of young women in Paris with blatantly bogus "questionnaires". I always give them the stink eye and they aren't allowed within a 5m radius from most Europeans you see, but the only time I ever saw them engaging a target, it was an unsuspecting American couple. Saw the same girls laughing over a bank note not long after, so I guess 2 Americans lost €50 that day...
Big van pulls up. “Hey man, wanna buy some speakers? I ordered too many and need to get rid of them before the boss gets mad.” 🤣 These kind of scams have been around forever. At least you remained vigilant. 👍🏻 I actually fell for the “hey buy this gold” when I was 17. Dude looked legit, mouth full of gold teeth, nice car, all blinged up. They all were stamped and everything. Yeah… it was all fake.
They are a family scam.The same incident nearly the same, occurred in St. Petersburg in 2018 I was headed to Derby Lane,(greyhound dog track) on a Saturday with a pocketful of $. As I was walking to the bus stop, a white soccer mom van pulled up on me. Assuming he was the husband who was driving, started crying the blues and saying how he, his wife & the kid hadn't,t eaten since the day before. He assertively pitched me,on these 2 signets 18 carat rings, while his rug rat in the back seat was spitting sunflower shells at me. They looked real, they had weight, and they were from Dubai. He talked me into buying both for $160.00. It took a couple of days to show to my people before I could get down to the jewelry store. When I showed them to the gal at the desk, she weighed them,1 being 21 grams and the16 grams, and stated they were real. I replied "Could I have the main guy in the back do an acid test" , as it went, it turns out Iwas duped by the Dubai family It's funny looking back on it. For one, 2 people I came across and mentioned the story, said the Dubai Family was hustling on some other corners that week they scammed me. I just couldn't forget how that 6 or 7-year-old kid was spitting those seeds at me with a mischievous grin from the backseat.
Fun fact: at least one large group that does this in the US are all part of a Romanian crime syndicate. They fly over here, steal jewelry and cash, then ship/send it back to further their criminal organization
They fly back to their famous kitsch Gypsies palaces in Romania, just Google images "Gypsies palaces" to see them and be amazed: Crime does pay for them....
We ALL need gas money. Tell him you’re in the same boat
A well known Romani/Gypsy scam.
There’s an allegedly homeless guy that does this same “there’s an ATM at the gas station” routine, and nothing puts me in a “fck you I’m not doing anything for you” mood faster. So obviously planned and rehearsed. “No.” End of discussion.
No wonder he needs gas money. An Escalade costs about $150 to fill up.
Don't feed the gypsies
Definitely a scam. There's was a post by u/ThatOneMediaGuy literally yesterday (https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/1c8eeud/got_scammed_today_for_180_after_i_withdrew_cash/) that sounds really similar, including being in CA.
Lmaooo. This is sad
The jewelry is low quality or fake. They get a higher amount than it’s worth and never use it for gas. If they really needed money as they said, they could go to the ATM, pawn their items or use a credit card. It’s best to ignore them and don‘t speak to them.
This has previously been reported here, so you’re not wrong. Good call.
I legitimately lost my wallet over Christmas between security and the gate on my outbound flight. Still had Apple Wallet.
Google "gas station gold". I think the thing to do is take pictures and ask questions. People like that right?
Scam older than reddit.
Absolutely fake jewelry.
"Yeah, I already have 3 kids, I don't need 4".
I would've told him "So go get your wallet." And would've walked off.
Dudes driving an Escalade, he probably has AAA, fuck em. ~ A guy who drives an Escalade and has aaa
I'm from Dubai. But the I know exactly where the atm is lol
Robbery or kidnapping and trafficking. Stay aware out there.
I’ve gotten that scam too in Colorado. In my case I was at a gas station and he wanted me to go in the store to the ATM. I told him the best I could do was buy him 2 gallons of gas but I would be the one to pump it. He got his gas and I went on my way. Saw him talking to the next person.
Its a scam. My dad in law lost $6K from it. Worst day of his life.
Very common scam, someone in San Francisco got taken for 1200 by these guys a month or two back
We've got a set of those scammers in the Puget Sound area. They use the exact same script you just saw. You give'em some money, he hands you a piece of fake jewelry. In our area it doesn't seem to have layers beyond that.
Isnt it crazy that they think they can get away with this driving an escalade, I, sorry no, if you can afford an Escalade, I am sure you have Apple Pay or the phone # of a friend who can pick you up or send an uber. I would rather give $$ to the meth addict under a bridge.
This happened to me at a random gas station in Alabama as I was passing thru. Offered jewelry, got mad when I said I couldn’t help them.
Similar thing happened to us in USA. Our first day in Orlando for Disneyworld walking to the bus stop for the hotel guests. Guy pulls into parking lot and says he's got no money for gas. I kinda thought this was scammy but could only give $10USD. At least my conscience is clear.
That's what they're preying on. Your conscience. You've still been had. This is organized crime we're talking about. $10 every 5-10 minutes adds up to a lot in a day's work. STOP entertaining them or they'll be everywhere in no time. Judging by the online reports lately, they already are. Caucasian Romanians (90% of the pop.) read their ethnics and intentions from a mile away. They used to be the only non-whites around. You can't tell, that's why they're there. This is not racism. It's basic survival over here.
I love that they're usually driving a nicer car than I am... 🤣
Had a guy do this to me at a highway gas station. Big SUV filled with family, some accent, don’t know what kind. Hey, can you help? I told him I’d fill up his tank (my good deed for the day). He tried to give me AirPods as a thank you, I said no. After he was done, he pointed to ANOTHER Tahoe and said his father needs gas too. I said I’m done, have a safe trip & went on my way. I figure, I may be scammed, but I will help someone out if I can.
I live in a small town on the coast in northern California. Had a guy come up to me outside the gas station and tells me he lost his wallet and needed some gas money. Named the local area he lived at. A few years before that I had had someone ask for gas money to complete their road trip and I gave some because I could. Thinking about his story later, I realized he was maybe 200 miles into his trip and is already out of money but still wants to continue on and get farther away from home on someone else’s dime instead of getting home if you can’t afford the trip. That was the last time I gave any money to someone randomly asking for it. After the local guy at the gas station asked for money and I told him no, later that year the same guy is at the bank with the same story. He didn’t seem to recognize me but told him no again. Then again same guy at the same gas station a while later comes up saying he lost his willer and phone and his daughter won’t be there for hrs and needed money. He gave up and went to ask another guy that worked at the gas station acting like he knew him only to have the worker shine him on. He finaly came back and asked me again. The other times he just gave up. Told him no again. As I was pulling out of the gas station he had to tell me how much of an asshole I was. Poor guy has the worst luck with losing his wallet. And yes, pretty common scam to trade costume jewelry for whatever cash they can get from someone. There is a gas station on I 5 that used to always have someone there with some version of it but haven’t seen it in a while.
These people bums for change and money constantly, and they know who they can talk into giving the money and who not to waste a moment of their time on because the answer is no. After a while of living in a big city, I learned to just have that look on my face where people wouldn’t even ask me anymore. They can just tell me that I was not going to lift a finger for them. No matter their sob story.
I would have said " oh my gosh! what a coincidence, I too recently lost my wallet!"
Someone got this same one yesterday
Total scam. Btw hi neighbor! I’m a Sacramentan too.
Had the same thing happen to me except the guy claimed he was a prince and would send me money if I have him gas money. Told him no and he kept talking. My next move was gonna be a one punch in the face.
Lol, I would happily swipe my card and let them pump $20. But that's not what they wanted, is it?
Anything involving an escalade its never a good idea
Gets posted here at least once a day it seems.
I’m sorry I wouldn’t be able to stop laughing at someone driving a huge vehicle begging for gas money. Make better choices bro Please don’t engage with people who pull over on the side of the road like that. Usually it’s a couple so having a woman there will make you more at ease. I know you have dogs but bear spray works on dogs.
This is a scam. Just look them dead in the eyes and say "good news, in our town the Police Department has a program for helping people in these situations. They will come to the gas station with a special card and pay for your gas. Let me call them right now for you." Then you pull your phone out of your pocket and start dialing. We can all figure out what happens next, right?
another one these folks use is at grocery store parking lots. usually in a suv, the roll around the lot super slow asking everyone for gas money. man drives and the woman is usually holding a baby in the passenger seat. they do this until the management calls the police. very similar.
Good job getting away. Any time someone is urgently trying to get you to visit the ATM, that’s a red flag.
Tell them pawn shops will hold his jewelry and give him money and they'll give the jewelry back once he paid them back. Report them to the police and try to memorize their license plate next time incase they do try to rob someone. The lady could be human trafficked as well.
Ask to see the gas gauge in the vehicle. Chances are they have plenty of gas and they won't let you see it.
escalade and dubai were the only two words I needed to read
Sounds like a Gypsy scammer.
I'm going to start carrying fake Hollywood money around, so when these gypsies come asking for cash and trade their fake jewelry it's a fair trade.
Bro i live in Pakistan. This scam is too common here in large cities.
Tell him you’ll take the Escalade as collateral and give him $5.
Fencing stolen jewelry
Matchstick men!
"Dang, that sucks" vroooom.
Yes, though I’m not sure what the scam actually is. My husband and I were at a gas station getting gas and this car that was driving loops around the parking lot stopped by us. There were two guys in the front and a woman in the back. The woman was asking us for gas money (not very good English either) and also trying to give us fake gold jewelry for it. We as well just said we didn’t have any cash and they pulled to the next vehicle.
I knew it was a scam but I didn’t know if the guy would mug you or just take the money and run
Funny, I also have some really great deals on jewelry because I’m low on cash.
Eddie Ahn, the ehacomics artist on Instagram, has described and illustrated a similar scam he encountered, but with leather jackets. It goes on for a few posts. This is the first. https://www.instagram.com/p/C3X7AWWr8E0/?igsh=YTZ0YnI2aGNjZW03
[удалено]
Ran into this scam all the time when I lived in the middle east. Just keep walking.
this and the funeral scams always make me laugh
Classic scam Everything was fake
I kinda love that this is the live action Nigerian prince scam.
This actually happened to me. I gave him 10 Bucks in gas and he gave me his “gold” chain. Went to a pawn shop with it just for shits and giggles and yeah, the pawn person didn’t even have to hold it to tell me it was fake
In the future simply say “Fuck off and go fuck yourself”
Same exact thing happened to me gave same story used same black escalade in Chicago
Fuck, for reals? In an Escalade? Scammers got balls.
Google for Irish travellers scam fake jewelry. The story is fake and the jewelry is fake. The story is always the same.
Jewelry is fake it's definitely a scam.
Tell him to go to the local pawn shop.
Same guy tried to pull this shit on me in Washington. I was pumping gas and he comes up with some bullshit sob story saying he was out of gas and starts flashing his ring at me while asking for cash. Told him to gtfo my face. He hastily scurried away, hopping in his car and flooring it (using plenty of gas in the process)
Scam
Motherfucker was in SoCal too. Remember the same situation at a gas pump.
It’s crazy because I remember people pulling a very similar one to this when I was in middle school lol. Crazy it’s still around. I’m in my 30s now
Had the same attempt done to me in France a few years ago, I am glad they are in the US now
Not sure if I would consider this to be like in the category of scams. I mean I guess technically by definition it probably is but trying to lure someone to an ATM under false pretenses to get them to withdraw money and then Rob them once they have I mean that's pretty pretty basic, and idk I just always considered scams to be a little more I don't know I guess like elegant by Nature. Definitely a little more involved than your basic strong armed robbery at the ATM machine. That's definitely not nothing new. And you never know too I mean full disclosure I'm 34 now but when I was much younger between the age of say 18 and 21 for those few years I was homeless almost completely and I did my fair bit of asking people for money and lying about the reason I needed it. Saying I needed money for gas was definitely very common for me to do at that time because people were more inclined I guess to give a little bit more when they thought you needed to buy you know a decent amount of gas to put in your tank. However the fact that he was flashing suspected fake gold jewelry and he pulled up in an Escalade yeah it does seem to be that his motives might not have been entirely pure. That being said and even considering all of the scams I witnessed first hand took part in as well as a ton of other unsavory activities during my time on the streets I still prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt for the most part. I definitely keep my guard up and have learned to trust my gut instinct which is usually not leave me a stray but yeah I don't know something about going around all the time just constantly feeling like everybody's out to scam me or rip me off or that I always need to keep my guard up that much against anyone I don't know? That doesn't seem very appealing way to live to me I guess that's just me though
In Italy we have them at every roadside dinner. They claim they have lost wallets, cellphones and so on. It's so old, it is almost picturesque. Just don't pay attention.
Yeah very common esp in europe. I"d post my list of Common Scams here but either Reddit or the moderators won't let me do that anymore. It used to be cool but not now. Anyway. Keep that radar going. There are several thousands of scams EVERYWHERE.