people asking for money saying they had no money to go home?
By chiyochan
@chiyosan (30184)
Philippines
February 2, 2012 1:05am CST
Has any of you encountered people asking you for money because they said they already used up all their money and they did not even know how much more they are supposed to use as public transportation fare. I mean, are these people just using this as an excuse to scam or what?
I have had several people asked me in several different locations. Once there was this older man who asked for money because he said he can't go home and have no money to pay for transportation...
then another one a woman who said he needs to go home to the province and they were not able to get some fare money when they came in...
and just yesterday a man, all sweating really ran and tried to catch up with me (i was walking really fast) and then said that "i am not a bad man", "i just need some help, money you can afford to give me"... he looked well and i think he is just trying to scam me... oh well, i was confused a bit and i gave him 20 bucks in pesos.. he he so do you think its true or that i was scammed?
why am i always the one so vulnerable to the people who tries to scam me(in case they are not telling the truth...)
will you walk away on these people asking you for money?
2 people like this
12 responses
@beamer88 (4259)
• Philippines
2 Feb 12
Probably only a few would be telling the truth. The rest are just trying to con you. It's actually a creative way to beg. Beggars are getting smart now. They would try to appeal to your pity by concocting sad stories and stuff. Some would even go to the extent of dressing up looking homeless just to add to the drama. But I'm also not immune to this. I mean, there are times when I fell for their stories and gave them money.
1 person likes this
@chiyosan (30184)
• Philippines
3 Feb 12
exactly. i think there could really be people who have no money at all.. but even if i am always thinking of them only trying to scam me.. sometimes i just think that there are still people, expecially children that comes to me and i can find no reason to turn them down.
@princess296 (33)
• Philippines
4 Feb 12
Yes,i already encountered the same situation 3times.The first one is a guy around 40s,he told me he forgot his wallet in his and he needs money for fare for his destination,since i have money that time i gave him ,dont care if he`s telling the truth or not what important is i helped him.The second one is an old lady same reason hahaha.
@smacksman (6053)
•
2 Feb 12
There is an online scam going around where you get an email that looks to be from a friend or relative (anyway, one taken from your address book online). They say they have been robbed of all their money and tickets and just need you to mail them a few hundred just to get home and they will pay you back on arrival.
The emails look pretty genuine and people are easily fooled.
@CTHanum (8234)
• Malaysia
2 Feb 12
If it were me I will look at the person first and if I want to give and help them it will be just a few $$. Now, everything can happen. Sometimes the one that asked fo your help can turn to be a bad people. But yes, we should think positive. So I will absolutely help them~(^^)
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
2 Feb 12
Your probably a lot like me. People can see that we would feel bad for their made up stories. I have had this happen to me so many times and so has my husband. We give anything we have to people even if it means less for us.
I gave a guy $20 at a gas station because he said he had kids and they needed to get home and couldn't afford any gas. I felt bad and gave it to him and then my husband saw him ask 4 more people for $20 and they all gave it to him.
My husband is so generous but even this made him angry. He said that guy just scammed you and made more money in a few minutes than I made all day at work! I felt bad...
I have taken it as a lesson learned and I am more careful now. Instead of giving money my husband and I usually feed people that are hungry...
@chiyosan (30184)
• Philippines
3 Feb 12
oh, that is really something that would make me feel bad and angry and regretful too. its like losing the money really. $20 is a big amount already if we would think about it and for him to be able to get this from people just pretending to be pitiful and all... well maybe if i saw this guy... i might just take back my twenty. haha but then.. it is still a lesson so next time we should not really be giving people some amount thinking that they might really need it... because they should be working for money and not begging for it.
@mich06141990 (10)
•
3 Feb 12
I have also encountered situation like this..I was waiting for the bus when suddenly a woman approached me and told me that her wallet was lost and nothing left her..she told me that she need to go home immediately because her mom is sick and have history of heart attack,and told me that she will pay me back..I gave her money enough for her transportation but she was not contented and asking me more for medicines of her mother..i didn't give anymore,i told her to go home and if something's happen to her mother call the paramedics immediately.. actually i knew it already since from the start that she was just tricking me..I think it is not the right manner to just walk away, but still it depends on the situation,if u think that it may harm you then ignore and if not and you can give enough then give..
@chiyosan (30184)
• Philippines
3 Feb 12
he does not look like he is ready to harm someone anyway.. but the thought leaves me feeling like i have been scammed. i don't know if what i did was to help someone or to harm him because i was giving him money thus letting him know that it is okay to beg. he he
@anne25penn (3305)
• Philippines
2 Feb 12
I was scammed once by these crooks but never again. I was about to go home and two children approached me (I'm a sucker for poor children) telling me that they had no money for the bus fare that would take them home. I even asked them where they lived and they said that they lost their money. And being the sucker that I am for poor children, I gave them money. I only found out about this scam when I saw the two kids again in the same area. From then on, whenever people would approach me using the same ruse I just ignore them.
@chiyosan (30184)
• Philippines
3 Feb 12
i thought of that too, i even asked the person, i pass by the same place every time and i might see you again here! i told him i have no money anymore and that if i give him my spare that meant i would walk half a kilometer. but then i gave it, anyhow. i guess i will just look out for the person. haha
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
9 Feb 12
I have encountered beggars and people who said the same thing! I have never gave any of them money though. I'm always wary of beggars. I heard that there's a syndicate specializing in using people to beg for money. And when you start to give, they would just jump at you and get all your money. Or, if you give one, more will surely follow. I mean, you give one and other beggars would start to go to you and ask for money, too.
I give food though, to beggars who really look like they haven't eaten something for a long time. And especially to old people. 
@BYOLA2871 (4371)
• South Africa
28 Feb 12
Wow!i thought this happens only here where i live but now reading your post i have a different opinion to tell you the truth there are people with genuine needs and there are people who just wont work but will change location every now and then just to scam hard working people like you & me.I have given money like that to an idiot who claimed he needed 20 bucks for tramsport only for me to find him having a swell time getting drunk at a nearby pub i was so furious i decided i wont give out like that again
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
10 Mar 12
It is hard to tell just who is and who isn't telling the truth anymore. I would want to give the person money but then I'd be afraid that they weren't telling the truth either. I think that it's best to let them be and maybe another person will come up. Here in the USA, I am sure if you couldn't find a way home if you called the cops and told them they would send someone out, but I can't be sure about that.
@stringer321 (5643)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
21 Feb 12
I got scammed some years ago when I went to a bus station , someone in the way asked me to buy a perfume from him , he even opened one just to let me smell it. He told me he had no money to go home by the transportation and I had no small change...
I bought the perfume because he didn't leave me alone but I called the police after he left me alone. I guess he wasn't there anymore because I saw the police after some minuts and they didn't see him. The police told me I shouldn't have to buy it from him. I told them he didn't leave me alone.
I think asking once or twice is ok , not leaving someone alone should be considered an harrasment !!
I pay people on the street if they are honest and ask for money or play music (playing a violin , accordion and etc...)
@NailTech (6874)
• United States
2 Feb 12
Yes I have been seeing more of this or similar in my town with people using signs outside of the roadways and asking for money and one guy would hang out at the store everyday, although not begging for money usually but have been told he did. It's hard to walk away, some of them probably are scammers but then again in the economy today anything is possible. I do hope if they are truly scamming they will be caught and punished,. There's nothing wrong with helping another poor person out but if it gets to the point of scamming others, there's definetly something wrong with that.
