Scam or not a Scam?

I used to take the commuter trains out of New York City.

Every so often, someone who get on the train as it was idling at Grand Central before starting its run. They'd say they'd gotten robbed or had their wallet stolen an ask for money.

But, when you took the train enough, you'd come to recognize the folks asking for the money.

The gas scam is a pretty good one. Gas at the nearest station to where she was "broken down" is about $3.50 a gallon. So, if someone really wants to help out, they're going to give more than they would to someone just asking for a buck.

To me, it just seemed unlikely that you would both run out of gas and not have any cash or credit/debit cards on you.

 

Another vote for scam, although I can't blame people if they wanted to just give money instead of having a strange woman in their car.

I told this one other time on here, but I'll say it again. Once, while walking out into the paper's parking lot at 2 a.m., had a guy rush up to me and tell me a sob story about how he was visiting his brother at the local drug rehab center and lost his wallet and how he had no money for the public transportation back home.

Guy looked seedy, and I just wanted to get rid of him, so I figured I'd give him a couple of bucks and that would be it. Only problem though, all I had was a $20, so I gave it to him and was rid of him. Few weeks later, the paper had a brief story about how it was all a scam.

Sure, I was out 20 bucks. But at least I knew I got home safe that night.

 

I also recently got a facebook "chat" request from a friend recently asking for money.

Said he was in London -- or Paris or something -- and that he had lost his credit card and that the hotel was demanding money from him. Asked if I would wire him money.

Again, seemed pretty unlikely. The friend was my older brother's college roommate, so I told him that if he could tell me how we knew each other that I would wire him the money.

He couldn't. I called my brother and told him to call his friend ASAP because his facebook account had been hacked.

 

Hey I bet you can pull more money in a few hours than doing 10 - 12 at Walmart - and it's tax free.

When I am approached I always ask for address and SS# so I can send them a 1099. Helps separate the scammers form those genuinely in need.

 

My first car was a piece of shit. The odometer didn't work when I bought it and eventually the gas gage stopped working as well.

I would fill up at the beginning of the week and the beginning of the weekend.

I ran out of gas twice. The one time I was driving home from my parents after Thanksgiving dinner. A pretty young woman picked me up, drove me to a gas station and then back to my car.

I was very surprised & extremely thankful.

 

No, I'm a big skeptic. Anyone on the street tries talking to me, they get ignored.

 

Interesting tag line for a skeptic.

"You have to have a little faith in people."

 

Was she a Republican or Democrat?

 

As everyone else has said, total scam.

 

Out of gas, need money for special formula/diapers, need money for ride home are the three biggest scams. Gas is No. 1

 

That's my tagline because I need to be reminded to have more faith in people.

The cold shoulder toward strangers is more because I'm an introvert. I don't like talking to people I don't know unless it's related to work.

 

I've always gone with "out of power steering fluid" works every time.