Con tricks - ever fallen for one?

[fingal]

Have you ever fallen for a con trick? Dare you admit it?

I've been turned over a couple of times by some very slick individuals. Once in the Paris Metro someone offered to 'help' me get my change out of a ticket machine when I looked lost. I said goodbye to £30.

A women here in Birmingham claimed to have missed her train home and she was - she said - stranded. Guess who gave her some money for her 'ticket'?

You might think you're immune, but it's surprising how you react when your guard's down. A webpage about this here.

[winter]

never fallen for one...primarily beacause i know alot of the tricks

[smolloy]

Walking down a busy street late at night in Malia, Crete, with my girlfriend a few years ago and a group of old women descended on us trying to sell us flowers. They crowded round me so fast, then I felt a thump on my right pocket, and they dispersed. After checking my pocket I discovered that one of the old b*&ches had nicked every penny I had. Being a big, loud, fella from Belfast, I decided to confront them as aggressively as I could (no violence intended, but they weren't to know that ), and after about five minutes of ranting one of them threw half the money on the ground and tried to pretend I'd just dropped it -- even though I saw her dropping it!!! After about 5 more mins they figured the money wasn't worth the trouble and threw the rest of it at me

In the meantime some poor schmuck who got his cash nicked by them as well but was too timid to approach them just stood there and watched. He didn't get a penny back.

Worst thing was that the cops weren't even interested.

[anomie]

When I was young-ish (19) I saw a television commercial for a book that explained how to buy up "cars siezed from drug dealers" at auctions. It sounded reasonable enough, so I gave it a go and ordered the $60 book. I read and followed its advice, some of which was to contact several officials regarding auction dates. One of the officers I got on the phone said, "Wait. Are you calling because of some book that tells you you can purchase cars for like $100?" Of course I replied yes. Fantasy was over. I called the company repeatedly and complained until they took the book back and gave me my money.

Good lesson to learn at a young age. If something sounds too good to be true, it is (almost without exception). Hold on to your money.

[Dapper Dan]

I'm really a sucker for a hard luck story and have been taken for more money than I care to admit. The very last time was when this man showed up at my business in tears saying he needed $20.00 to help purchase steel toed work boots otherwise he would loose a job that he desperately needed so he could buy presents for his kids at Christmas. Like a fool, I "loaned" him the twenty dollars and he swore he would repay me after receiving his first pay check the following Friday. Needless to say he didn't show and I knew I'd been had yet again for the thousandth time! I swore then I would never loan anyone another nickel as long as I lived no matter how desperately their situation seemed to be.

A few months after that, as I was getting into my truck, an old black man rolled up in a wheelchair asking for a loan saying he was a Viet Nam Vet who'd lost his leg in the war. My heart melted, and I reached for my billfold. I remembered and then told him that I was sorry, but I'd sworn off ever "loaning" anyone money again, since I never once got paid back for all the times I'd done it. It really hurt to watch him go, and maybe he was really in need, but I need my money to feed my family and make sure my wife and kids are provided for. I knew then if I was strong enough to turn him down, I'd finally gotten control of my bleeding heart.

[ThoughtVelocity]

When I was a teenager at my first job as a grocery store cashier I got taken by a quick change artist. By the time I realized what was going on, I got my drawer shorted like $50.

[sepius]

Yeah, I had many scam me with bleeding heart stories. I now have a strong policy of "no I dont loan". I work in a petrol/convinience store, and have had many "I need fuel to visit sick/dying mother/grandmother/father", etc.
The one though that made me feel best was when a old man walked in asking for money for food, I said nope, dont loan money. In my lunch break I saw him hassling others, So I went and bought a takeaway pack about $5 and gave him that. He was very greatful, and enjoyed the meal. I now try to assist people, i.e. make a phone call for them instead, you soon find who scams and who is in genuine distress.

[fingal]

He he ... thanks for the replies. I don't think many people will post to this thread, but I really enjoyed reading what had happened to you. I'm also a sucker for a hard luck story, but now I've realised some simple principles about large cities:

If a complete stranger stops you in the street they either want one of the following things:

- to ask you the time
- to ask directions
- they want your body and your money
- they want to con you out of your money
- you are being mugged
- they are genuine

Not very pleasant is it? Actually I was going to post a thread about practical jokes originally, but I was feeling a bit Gotham City so I started to think about cons and grifts. One really old one is called 'the fawney rig' which I learned about from Neil Gaiman's Sandman graphic novels. That reference to it is very old!

[GNOME_n00b]

Have you ever fallen for a con trick? Dare you admit it?

never, because i always err on the side of caution.

[fingal]

Have you ever fallen for a con trick? Dare you admit it?

never, because i always err on the side of caution.

Okay, that's cool.

I found another web page about this. Wikipedia just keeps getting better and better.