My friend got taken for $20

System

preable wrote: »

Why was he buying a newspaper of a tramp lol

Yes it was a bit weird. Especially when it was in French and he doesn't speak a word of it! He's from Somerset so a bit slow

donnac2558

Why were you confused?

Someone comes up to you at bus stop, carpark etc and rambles about something awful happening to them. You move along and ignore them.

I had some weird older man start talking to me at the bus stop about my shoes! I gave him the death stare(this translates into F**k off), and got on the bus when it came.

paddyrg

The confusion element is deliberate - when your brain is overwhelmed it looks for simple instructions it can follow - this is the basis of a hypnotic snap induction. When your brain hears to hand over cash, frankly it thinks it may be a good idea to stop the confusion, so whilst it is distracted with odd amounts etc, any cash that comes out is easy game for the scammers.

Perhaps your lady did a better job on you than you realise! Or on your friend at least.

DCFC79

pancakebuzz wrote: »

I'm just going to stay away from this section of the site, I think.

Why would you do that ?

Dont like the replies ?

Pollycat

I'm one of those people who seem to attract strange people.

The berk on the bus (I can be the only passenger and he/she will come and sit next to me), the pillock in the pub (in a crowded pub, they'll make a beeline for me) etc etc.
OH thinks I have some symbol on my forehead only visible to loonies that says 'go speak to this lady' but even I wouldn't have fallen for the story the OP tells.

With the mention of having attended an 'event' and being 'in great spirits' and both being confused, I wonder if alcohol was involved.

JimmyTheWig

pancakebuzz wrote: »

Um, the dollar sign is because I'm Canadian...

I just wanted to tell this story somewhere, and here seemed like a good place. I guess it wasn't.

I guess you could have chosen better places to tell it - like on a Canadian website, maybe, rather than a British one.
Not saying I don't want to hear about Canadian scams, but if you are posting such stories it would probably help if you said it was in Canada. I assumed it was in the States. I have no idea, offhand, how much 20 Canadian dollars is worth. Might have been scam of the century, or might have been small change.

What have you learned from the incident, OP?

RosiPossum

I was approached in South Africa - the security guards at the shops there are quite swift and efficient when dealing with the people begging! I was quite surprised.

prowla

On the occasions I've been approached, I say I won't give money.

I did once help out a youth who said he was hungry - I bought him a meal.

A young lady asked for money once to get her into an overnight youth place; I told her I was going that way and would be more than happy to pay the fee for her, but she got rather upset when she realised she wouldn't get the cash!