Confrontation with a scammer...

[ATC777]

Hey guys, gonna recount an amusing little story about what happened tonight... 

Here goes... I was at the CVS pharmacy on the corner of Bluebonnet and Perkins in Baton Rouge, LA. I went in and dropped off my Rx and went back out to my car to have a smoke while I waited. I opened up the car and grabbed my cigs and my lighter, and just as I'm shutting my car door this guy approaches me. He's a young guy, probably close to my age (I'm 24, and he appeared to be in his early or mid-20s). He's wearing an LSU (Louisiana State University) jacket and a hat; dressed like a typical college kid... there are tons of them around here. But I felt an awkward vibe as soon as he approached me...

He says, "Hey man, do you have a minute?" and I just sorta nodded. And he breaks right into this little speech:

"Look, man... I hate to bother you but I locked my keys in my car. I called the police and everything but they said they're not allowed to pop open locks anymore. They said I had to call a locksmith. So I called the locksmith but I'm like $17 short on what I need. If there's any way you could help me, bro, I'd really appreciate it. You think you could help me?"

As he was saying this I had this weird deja-vu... and I said "I'm sorry but I have only exactly enough money on me to get my prescription" (which was true), and he gives me a funny look and walks away and goes by the door of the store. So my mind sets to racing, and I'm trying to figure out where the weird vibe/deja-vu came from. And I'm sitting there by my car watching him. He's trying to bum money from passers-by as they go in/out of the pharmacy. And I see one lady give him a $1 bill -- she actually walked all the way back to her car to get it for this innocent-looking college kid who locked his keys in the car. All the while I still feel like there's something wrong with this picture...

Just as I'm finishing my cigarette and heading back inside to get my Rx I see him stop an older gentlemen by the door who was trying to enter the store, and he's telling his story to the man. Then suddenly it clicked! About a month and a half ago I was at the Exxon gas station on College Drive when a young 20-something-year-old wearing an LSU jacket came into the store and told me he locked his keys in his car. He used the EXACT same story about the police being unable to help, all the way down to the EXACT amount of $17! IT WAS THE SAME GUY!!! 

So as I approached the door where the old man is listening to the sob story about the keys locked in the car I stopped right in front of them. I pointed at the younger guy and said "I remember you, buddy. Don't you remember me?" He gave me a weird look and said no. But I said "Perhaps you don't, but I definitely remember you!" The old man just sorta goes silent and is watching like wtf is going on here. So I just layed into him...

"Don't play dumb... Not even two months ago I was at the Exxon on College Drive and you came into the store telling the same story about locking your keys in the car with the EXACT same details about the police being unable to help and you were EXACTLY $17 short."

Ha, now I've got him looking like a deer in the headlights on a Mac truck. 

"You're fucking pathetic, dude... You're just one of those people that goes around town trying to prey on people's willingness to help a 'college kid' in distress. I've seen you doing this SAME exact scam before. What you're doing is fucked up... you need to get out of here..."

As I'm saying this he's just shaking his head, and couldn't even utter a word of protest lol. The old man actually broke out into a smile. I just walked into the store. A few minutes later the old man finally came in and patted me on the shoulder and said "Thank you, I was actually about to give him $20. I felt sorry for him because he reminded me of my grandson." We had a good laugh about the whole thing.

When I exited the store the little punk bastard was gone, thankfully... 

[Thursday]

Hate scammers, and I've seen the same thing before.

Hope you were right about seeing him before.

[MysteryMiner]

Teach him about Bitcoins and how to panhandle them here on forums. Probably he also need to learn about Silk Road.

[ATC777]

Hope you were right about seeing him before.

I'm 100% sure it was him. When he first walked up to me I knew something was weird about the whole thing and when I thought back to the incident at the Exxon it all fell in place. It was him. No doubt! 

As a matter of fact, when I first moved into the place I'm living now some guy approached me in the parking lot one day with the whole keys-locked-in-car-need-money story. It's been about 6 months ago so I can't remember the details. But it might have actually been the same guy in that case too -- just can't jar my memory that far back to be sure. But I'm 100% sure about the guy I saw tonight being the same one from 1 1/2 months ago!

He's not the first bum-scammer I've seen in Baton Rouge. There's an old man who sometimes stands at the College Drive exit for I-12, and he holds up a sign saying he's from out of town and his Jeep broke down and he needs money to get it fixed and get home. The first time I saw him I gave him $2 and some cigarettes because he appeared to be legitimately in need...he was standing in freezing cold rain. But I saw him just a couple weeks ago working the same spot with the same scam. 

There's only one "bum" I have sympathy for. He sometimes hangs out near Walmart on College Dr. He's in his mid-30s... He doesn't beg for money, but instead he makes funny signs and posters and tries to do amusing/entertaining things to earn a few bucks. I actually have some pics of some of his signs -- they're pretty funny. When I see him I usually get him something from McDonalds or Burger King. Poor guy lives under an overpass...saw his camp with my own eyes. I have a little respect for him because he doesn't make up BS stories and lies or beg people for money but he really tries to entertain you and gives it his all haha. 

[Phinnaeus Gage]

[jwzguy]

That's pretty funny. I've actually had the exact same experience, but it was a woman saying her purse was stolen and she needed more gas to drive another 50 miles. At the same gas station, about 2 months apart. Kudos to you for calling him out in front of the other guy.

[Nolo]

That's pretty funny. I've actually had the exact same experience, but it was a woman saying her purse was stolen and she needed more gas to drive another 50 miles. At the same gas station, about 2 months apart. Kudos to you for calling him out in front of the other guy.

I've had the gas story several times.  I don't carry cash on me (not even $1), so never even have to make the evaluation on whether they are telling the truth or not.  Now if she were smoking hot, and needed a lift, I might feel obliged to help out that way  

[gabbergabe]

http://pleated-jeans.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/4868853133.jpeg

ill pay to watch.

[ATC777]

Here's two pics of the guy who hangs out by Walmart on College:





I wish I had some pictures of his "Bad Santa" act he put on for Christmas, hahaha! 

[MrTeal]

LOL... You seem to get those kinds all the time at gas stations, everyone's car seems to have run out of gas and they need $20. Though in the spirit of full disclosure I will help a guy out by filling their Jerry can or container with a gallon or two if they aren't just there begging for cash to buy booze.

[Akka]

Hmm, where I live they try mostly the "my mother had a stroke and I don't have enough money for the Train to get into the hospital"-scam.

The saddest part is, I really fear that I will someday turn someone away, who would really need my help, just because of this scammers.

Just imagine, you are desperately in need of help and nobody helps you, thank to those scammers. That makes me really angry.

[thebaron]

I once had someone carrying a baby try and pull a similar stunt on me in a Wal-Mart parking lot a few years back. Once I let her know through body language that I knew she was bullshit, she turned her acting off and went off to search for a new mark.

These people always have a "whiny" way they tell their sob story, so fortunately...at least for me...they're pretty easy to ignore.

[thebaron]

Here's two pics of the guy who hangs out by Walmart on College:





I wish I had some pictures of his "Bad Santa" act he put on for Christmas, hahaha!  

Your pictures weren't remote-loading, so I fixed them.

At least he doesn't appear to be committing fraud.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

That's a two-sided sign he's holding. He should expand his shtick three-fold by using a box, thus having six humorous messages.

Better yet, he could start with a box with no writing on it, but has a string attached to it, fastened to a felt marker at the other end. As people get within his vicinity, he'll state, "Hey, bud. I'm a little down on my luck and lost my creativity. Would you be so kind as to write something on my box?" He could (falsely) claim the box will be donated to the HFL-ZIO museum, projected to be built in Atlanta. If asked what HFL-ZIO stands for, he could truthfully claim that he doesn't know (because he made it up). If somebody happens to Google the phase on their smartphone--calling him out--he can revert to, "All I know is that some guy told me the group consist of some Asian benefactors, and will give me three dollars for the box at the end of the day."

He can even have several strings hanging attached to different colored markers, thus giving the writers more creativity, coupled with having more flashy signage as the day progresses.

The next step would be for him to register a TM for his brand, so that he'll the ability to sue other homeless people if they steal his idea, which would decrease his market charge. People shouldn't be confused with the The Box Sign Guy in Baton Rouge with the The Box Sign Guy in Austin.

[meowmeowbrowncow]

People actually fall for panhandler stories anymore?  I'm shocked.  I would think there would be too few gullible enough to scam to make it worth it.


When I was 17 a friend answered an ad in the paper for a job.  No experience required.  My friend dragged me along to the 'interview.'  It was a warehouse full of cheap ass speakers.  The scam operation was to drive vans around full of these speakers, stopping at random pedestrians to state that the speakers were left overs and if they'd be interested in buying on the cheap.  For truthiness these guys carried around a fed ex overnight pouch (empty lol) to wave around if questioned about their legitimacy.  The truly bizarre thing is at the end of the 'interview' day of a ride along with the scammers the 'boss,' as he sat at his very large (expensive) desk and with all of the scammer drivers (kids) lined up behind him, with a very intimidating disposition asked if we were interested in becoming part of the 'family.'


So, the other day at the drug store as I was getting in to my car a guy pulls up in a non descript van to 1.  ask directions (lol) 2.  Asked if I wanted to purchase TV's where the 'customer' would not take delivery.

It was an older gentleman scammer driver.  I guess the economy is pretty bad.  The scammer kids were the worst pieces of sh*t I'd met.  I have no sympathy for scammers - whatever their motivations.

[thebaron]

I confronted one of the White Van people once:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O58MvTWAI_M

[ATC777]

I confronted one of the White Van people once:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O58MvTWAI_M

Haha! Nice, dude!  

I like how you were confident/assertive and showed no fear, and just told them where to go! Very well played! I never knew that this scam was so wide-spread until it was mentioned in this thread and I found the Wikipedia article titled "White van speaker scam".

I think I wanna make an educational Youtube video soon that exposes/explains scams like these and the "I need money because of X, Y, Z" BS. Don't have a video camera though. Can you guys give me some money so I can get a video camera...it seems I locked all of my money in my car! LOL, just kidding! But I really do need to get myself a camera so I can get back to making videos again haha.

Too many people fall for this sort of crap. I saw the old man at the College Drive exit again. He has a new sign now that just says "Homeless. Anything helps.", which is probably much closer to the truth. I gave him a couple cigarettes and told him I don't wanna see him trying to scam people with the Jeep story again or I'd pay him a visit lol.