IMPORTANT NOTE

Hello, and welcome.
I would like to inform you that I AM MOVING.
...well, sort of. I have started a new blog, Oui Crochet, that focuses just on crochet, crochet patterns, and crochet resources. I am in the process of building it up as a one stop shop for all things crochet, and I am very excited about it. I hope you will come over and check out my progress. :)
I will be moving my patterns from this site, to my new site. My idea is to leave this site active, so that you can still access other aspects of this site. I will also leave a modified "introduction" post where each pattern is on this site, as to keep all links active and make it so that you can easily locate the pattern's new home. As an added bonus, you will also find new printable/downloadable versions of my patterns.
I apologize for any inconvenience, but I assure you, this change is a positive one. I look forward to seeing you at Oui Crochet.
Happy Crocheting!


Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Scammers... How Low Can They Go?

Preying on the kind nature of people.
Really?
How does one even justify that this is ok to do?
I just don't get it.

Before I get to the one that prompted me to write this post, I will share a previous experience.

A few years ago, while at the grocery store, a young man approached my husband asking for a couple of dollars because he was out of gas and had no cash on him. Okay. That is believable enough.
Well, a couple days later, there was the same young man in the same parking lot, pulling the same scam. A week or so later, he was working the crowd in another nearby parking lot. Over a year later, across town, he was still approaching strangers to "help him out". He had his same beat up old car and was using his same lines. He even had a couple of friends with him getting in on the action. Poor struggling students...

This is nothing compared to what a pair of scammers were pulling a week or so ago.

They must have brainstormed to come up with the most horrific story. Something that would be sure to pull at the heartstrings at everyone. Something that would ensure large donations.
An all time low.

The couple was approaching people outside the store asking for donations to help bury their baby. They claimed that he was killed in a hit and run accident a week earlier and they didn't have enough money to cover funeral costs.


Anyone with a heartbeat would be compelled to help this couple in their hour of need, right? I mean, what kind of person are you to not help out?

When they approached my husband, of course he wanted to help, but having seen scams and such before, he inquired further. He asked them if the police department could steer them toward a charity or other group that would help with their expenses so that they didn't have to spend their time and effort out in front of the store while still trying to deal with their grief. He asked them where the accident occurred (way across town). He talked with them. He showed compassion. Really, in a case like this, you hope that it isn't true. Yet, how could someone make something up like that and still sleep at night?

Instead of giving the couple some money, my husband offered to help in a different way. He told them that he would call the police department and see if they could recommend somewhere that they could go for help.  He asked me to look it up on the computer, in the news, to find more details so that we could do something to help these poor bereaved parents out.

There was nothing.

No report of the accident.

There was news of a dog being hit by a car a few miles from where the couple claimed that the accident happened. Nothing else.

It was a scam.

So what does this mean? We shouldn't "do the right thing" or "do the compassionate thing" and help others out when needed? No. It doesn't mean that. It simply means that there are those out there who will try to take advantage of others, and we need to be aware of this.
These scammers make it harder for people who are truly in need of a little help- even if it is just a couple of dollars to put gas in their car so they can make it home.

Just keep your eyes open.

Make a judgement call.

It's sad that we even have to do that.

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10 comments:

  1. It is sad that we have to be so cautious about helping others. People like us, with a working conscience, worry about failing to lend a hand when it truly is needed. I don't know how scammers live with themselves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is sad. I just don't understand how they can justify in their minds that it is okay to do. :-(

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  2. Perhaps it is best to look right in our own neighborhood to lend a helping hand. Or to support local charities like the FoodBank. A friend of mine keeps little baggies filled with soap, deodorant, toothpaste, bandaids and things like that to give out to those who are asking for money. Sometimes she offers food. I tend to be more cynical and if their clothes look better than mine - well.., you get the picture. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love this because on two occasions this type of scam happened to me, also in a grocery store parking lots. With the first one, she wanted money for gas with a long sob story about how her boyfriend abandoned her and she needed to get home, and I asked if the store manager knew about her and we should go inside and talk to him to see if the store could help her out and she gave me some strange answers. Then - I said I was going inside to talk to the store manager to have them help her and she started screaming at me about how it was none of my business and on and on. So, I did talk to the manager who said they get these people there doing this on and off. The girl disappeared almost immediately. The second time at a different grocery store I challenged the girl and she started darting in and out of the parked cars trying to get away from my sight. So I don't give to these people because it is just panhandling like you say. I am glad to hear about this happening to others.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is sad! It makes it so much harder for those really in need of help.
      Years ago, when there were still pay phones at the mall, there was a teenage girl asking for money for the pay phone so that she could call her mom to pick her up because her ride left without her. 50cents here and there is such a small amount that many are willing to give without a second thought... especially to a stranded teen girl. Well, it adds up quite a bit after an hour or two. We saw this girl chatting with her friends before she came up to us asking for change. My husband said, "Sure." He would give her the change she needed. The phone was feet away. He walked over to it and asked if it was a local call, or if it needed more than 50 cents, as he was about to drop the coins in the slot. She just "huffed" and stomped off saying, "never mind!"

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  4. That's an awful thing to pretend about. Wow. I have had students at school lying about Grandmas dying to get away with not doing work/not turning up etc. It just seems wrong to me.

    Sarah
    http://acatlikecuriosity.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly! It's one thing to scam by asking for gas money or something, but to o out there and say that someone passed away... that just takes it to an all time low. I don't see how they can do it. :-(

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  5. This is just too sad! What absolutely horrible people.

    ReplyDelete

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