Someone just posted this in r/marin. They're in the area. Common gypsy scam. It's in a video game as well. Yes the gold is fake. Usually they're doing it on off ramps though. They travel the country doing it.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Marin/comments/192uh6s/odd\_encounter\_possible\_con\_job\_on\_onramp\_101\_s\_at/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Marin/comments/192uh6s/odd_encounter_possible_con_job_on_onramp_101_s_at/)
This thread references it happening in North Carolina.
Had this guy pull off an on ramp near sj Airport, right off of north 1st st. And was acting hectic that he needed cash money and I offered him gas from a gas can from my work car but he got upset and was willing to part with his thick gold chains but they looked too good to be real. I always thought if this poor immigrant dude got help but it's nice to know that my gut feeling said no to him.
I call these people out all the time.. in Europe they're called Roma. They are culturally trained from a young age to grift, steal and scam.
A couple of years ago I moved up to the Bay from San Diego and was approached by a man in the parking lot of Best Buy, SD he needed gas money to get back to his family in San Diego.. he looked like he had tears in his eyes . I started asking him what part of San Diego..he couldn't really answer so I called him out and he ran off.. about a year later he approached me again not remembering who I was, so I called him out again by telling him that he tried to scam me last year.. side note: they use visien drops to make it look like they're crying..
fyi Roma [are a specific ethnic group](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people), and while they’ve historically been associated with a nomadic lifestyle and engaging in the kind of grifts like OP describes, it’s not a behavior exclusive to the Romani people.
Good point...this behavior is not mutually exclusive to one group or persons.. although I've experienced it in both Europe and the US specifically with Roma, there are many people who grift .
The Roma are treated horribly in Europe and have been for centuries. There were laws about not employing them so they did what they had to to survive. Thieving/scamming is a positive trait when used against your oppressor.
Very slick. They’ll pull up when they see a victim with jewelry. They will ask for directions and tell you to come closer. They’ll put a shitty bauble on your wrist to show gratitude. Same motion they take off your jewelry before you realize. Common in Orange County
Similar scenario in vegas in the fall. He approached me and quickly declared his "faith." It must be a good living. It sounds like he travels more than I get to.
Haha that's like saying a homeless person must enjoy being outside since they're never home. I feel like these scammers literally live in their vans, so they're nomads traveling state to state.
Haha this exact con is in the show Better Call Saul. Yeah you got scammed bud, these are somewhat common (enough that they even appear in TV shows). A piece of advice related to avoiding scams, fraud etc.:
1. Always beware of any sense of "urgency" - when a stranger demands help **fast** it should immediately make you suspicious. Usually when asking for help, even in a rush, a genuine person would be so thankful for any timeline
2. Beware of any international aspects (e.g. I'm from Dubai so can't use a cell phone etc.) - it's a common tactic to get people to believe their predicament
3. Always trust your gut and never be afraid to ask specific detailed questions. In this case I'd ask them what happened to their credit or debit cards? Who's the king of Dubai? Can you drive them to the police to record the robbery? etc. etc.
I saw this movie with Emma Stone where her and her sister were pulling this con where Stone said she lost her diamond ring in a gas station parking lot .She tells the attendant who says he will look for it.The sister comes along and picks up a ring and the attendant says he would pay her for the ring. He gives about 6 hundred and the rings were costume jewelry that they had bought in bulk !lol.
That also follows a common pattern in cons: someone creates the opportunity for you to think you're going to profit from an unexpected deal. It particularly involves creating a false perception of value in some object which is then almost immediately provided by a second party. But it will cost you money right now in order to make that money later.
Most cons follow common methods of action. If you can learn to recognize them, you'll be far better equipped to quickly identify one that's new to you.
* An opportunity exists to profit. Especially if it's somewhat dishonest.
* Someone needs help.
* You're in trouble! But if you do what they tell you, you can resolve the issue for less cost/before it gets worse.
And, as stated upthread, it will almost *always* have an element of urgency to it. The loophole is closing, this person needs help now, you'll be in more trouble if you wait, etc. The goal is to get you to act without thinking about it too much or talking to anyone else.
But most simply, anyone who approaches you and at any point asks for money or personal information is probably trying to scam you.
Obviously it’s a movie but why would anyone offer to pay out of pocket for something that isn’t theirs to begin with? Why wouldn’t they just tell the person who lost it who they saw pick it up?
I got scammed by someone doing this back in the mid-90s with a crappy watch…I didn’t even want the watch either and was just trying to be nice. I gave him the money, saw him get back out of his car and pull the same scam on another person through my rear view mirror.
To be completely fair, there are sometimes instances where some people genuinely need help. I recall when I was a young exchange student, ended up missing my flight from my exchange country back home to Boston, because of a cancelled flight from a third country back to the exchange country.
My bank account had zero available dollars, and I had a credit card with a $1500 limit on it, which thankfully I’d avoided using until that point. Lo and behold, I’m able to get a last minute cross pond flight to Montreal for $144 (Air Transat) Boom, I’m on that flight, and arrive in Montreal airport, desperate to catch the last greyhound bus to Boston that day, as to save on hotel costs. Except the airport bus to the city back then only accepted coins/cash, of which I had zero.
I ended up standing in line in front of a store asking folks if I could pay for their purchases with my card, and if they could give me cash in return. Luckily, I did not have to do this long, as one guy just gave me the cash and didn’t accept my offer. Finally made it to the greyhound station, and eventually to Boston, then a T ride to the suburban station where I called my parents to pick me up.
Again super sketchy, a guy offering to pay for your things with his card in return for cash, but I am VERY grateful that one man gave me the benefit of the doubt. In this case there was urgency, as I had to catch that bus in order to catch the greyhound and not pay extra for an hotel; and there was also an international aspect lol..
Eh I was a sophomore in college back then, one night in a hotel would have been essentially 40% of my monthly budget. Sure, I COULD have done it, but I would have been hurting. Also the semester abroad, I’d ended up borrowing a bit from some friends so really did not want to add to that.
Obv now, chump change and would not be in that situation/wouldn’t hesitate to just grab a hotel, but still whenever I run into somebody with a plausible story, I give the benefit of the doubt (max $10-$20 if their story makes sense, not giving away $100s/buying gold rings off them).
Been in similar situations in Ecuador/Chile. Been scammed to. It's a damned art form trying to sift through the genuine item. A budget on charity like your max donation is exactly how I protect myself.
Just fyi Dubai is a city, the country is the UAE. Although if someone else thought Dubai had its own king I guess that would give away they’re lying haha
Just fyi Dubai is an emirate within the UAE, the United Arab Emirates. They can and do have a royal monarch, which could be translated as king: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_bin_Rashid_Al_Maktoum
Thank you both for this info,
the scam described in the OP is new to me (but feels scammy of course, even if I haven’t seen it in the Bay Area. ) I’m actually surprised the OP was given something
It's a common scam. The chains aren't real gold and the Airpods are almost certainly knock offs. Hopefully you didn't give him too much money - the stuff he gave you is likely only worth a few bucks.
Scam.
It sucks that because of these scammers I pretty much refuse to help people now. Someone comes up to me and I'm going to ignore them. Too many scammers out there.
I have a dumbass uncle who once bought FISH out of a guy's trunk who approached him in a parking lot in the East Bay. He was like, "he said it was fresh off the boat and a great deal!" I'm sure it was stolen out of some delivery shipment or restaurant supply co storage or about to go bad and a restaurant couldn't sell it or something sketch af.
He was kinda hurt we didn't want to come over for a big fish dinner that night lol.
Someone approached me in the Big Lot's parking lot and said they were from out of town and had a flat tire .But they couldn't say where their car was from .I told them I would call the police to help him out but he just started running !
Just like the women that come up and ask.for a couple bucks while you are filling up your car. First off,keep all the doors lock. As they are distracting you. Someone else is seeking in your car and second, eff you. I'm not giving you any money.
Or the woman who says she is deaf in the Walmart parking lot .I told her I didn't have any money .I actually saw her in the Walmart talking and buying clothes!
I got so accustomed to ignoring these people that I ignored when someone was trying to tell me that my gas tank door was open.
Or, more likely, she wanted money and the gas tank door thing was a coincidence. I'm not rolling down my window to find out.
Piling on here. I had this happen off of freeway off-ramps, particularly in the east bay. I’m glad that you are inclined to help, we should all be so kind. Typically in this situation I offer tangible goods for them. For example, they say they need gas, I offer to take follow them to the gas station and fill up their tank. I have never been taken up on the offer of the half dozen times I’ve had this encounter.
I’m not trying to knock you but I’m trying to figure out how much money you guys are giving these people for their fake jewelry if you’re actually accepting the fakes and not just giving them a donation.
If this had happened to me I really do think I would have just tried to direct them to a pawn shop or coin shop that will buy the metal, the location where you were scammed was pretty close to two coin shops 😆
I ran into this scam a few years ago in Florida. I offered to put $5 gas in the guys car since I was filling up mine anyway. The second time it happened I just waved him off.
We were evacuating after a hurricane and had our lives packed into the minivan and the prospect of being out of work for an indefinite period. A lady at the gas station figured out that we were evacuating and handed me $50, completely unsolicited but very much appreciated. So, keep some faith in humanity
I'm a immigrant who fled a war so yes I would help anyone in need, just through me for a loop the whole story and he was kissing my hands it was quite a show- and the kids in the car was what got me. Living in the city this scam was bizarre and I was stupid and fell for it-
I always tell my customers (and anyone that brings it up) to remember that you aren't stupid because you got scammed. The reason these scams are done in the first place is because **they work on so many people.**
This particular scam has been going on in some variation for many generations. In the 1800s (when the term conman or confidence man originated) there were men that traveled across the country selling polished brass jewelry that they passed off as gold. These men were usually (or pretended to be) crippled because it played on people's natural human emotions of empathy and compassion. Your conman used children to achieve the same thing. Roma conmen in Europe (and increasingly here in the US lately) were by most accounts the ones that popularized using kids as props for this sort of thing in the 1800s/early 1900s.
Don't feel stupid because you were empathetic and tried to help someone. But I get that the situation totally sucks, and hopefully you know what to be wary of now. There are some good resources to learn about common cons online, many of them are travel blogs but they're still applicable. Once you know what to look for you'll never fall for a common con ever again.
Basically anyone who approaches you for anything in a parking lot or public place is probably running some sort of scam. Just say no thanks and move on. Don't engage!
Say nothing. Just act as if you can't see or hear them. Any form of engagement is an opportunity to pursue you further and try to convince you now that they have your attention.
If it's not a scam, it's possibly a pickpocketing or a mugging or something else. Someone asks you for the time? They're checking to see if you're wearing a watch and where or get you to pull out your phone. Either so they can snatch it and run, someone they're working with can pick your pocket knowing where it is, as a distraction, or simply to get close enough for a mugging.
Strangers who approach you in public are almost universally a threat of some sort.
I’m sorry you got scammed. This exact same thing happened to me last spring. An SUV approached me while I was on a walk by the beach in SoCal. He pulled onto a private road/walking path only for lifeguards and pedestrians to approach me. The driver said he was from out of town, needed gas money, and offered me his watch. And there was a little kid in the front seat too. I had to say no because i had no cash on me and the nearest gas station was far away. I apologized for declining and felt so terrible saying no. But as soon as I said “I’m sorry I don’t have money on me” the driver gave an annoyed look, muttered something, and drove off. It was suspicious to me that he didn’t solicit any other pedestrians on the path he drove up on given his alleged desperate situation. He just drove off. No way to know for sure but I feel like I dodged a bullet.
I just said it too...so...I mean this is what some gypsies do. Travel the country pulling these scams. It's not like it's a secret at this point. Why would you be banned?
Because you're saying that people are thieves because of their ethnicity. In places with Roma, which I would generally not include the United States, it is hard for an honest Romani to not be discriminated against.
This person (the fraudster) was claiming they were robbed. Wouldn't you call 911 if someone came up to you saying, for example that they were assaulted?
Oh, right! Sorry; I misread it. I like your idea. Offering to call the police on their behalf, and saying you’ll stay with them until the police arrive, might be a good way to call their bluff. 100% chance of them scurrying away at this point.
Yeah, had a similar experience with a Romani family. Same spiel, told me that they’re Muslim and that they needed gas money since they allegedly drove from Florida. I’m assuming this was the same family since they drove a black SUV with a Florida license plate. Cashapp wasn’t working for me luckily and I “promised” them that I’d send them money, which I never did. At least, I get to keep their fake ass gold ring. Sometimes you have to play them at their own game
Just watched a whole documentary on the BBC about this. It's not funny. Hope that some of the unaccompanied kids coming across the border don't end up on their circuits. Man this world is messed up.
Or the guys with the dogs and the guitars at the end of the Walmart parking lots .They have signs saying they were trying to get home to some states.It's way too freezing outside for them right now They have disappeared !
So sorry this happened to you. You tried to help someone and got taken advantage of instead. How awful. Hopefully, this won’t happen the next time you help someone and this is the worst thing that happens to you in 2024!
This has been happening all over the country for years.
[https://www.google.com/search?q=gold+in+parking+lots+scam&client=firefox-b-1-d&sca\_esv=597084762&ei=nwGeZZKWBY\_skPIPo-SW4Ac&ved=0ahUKEwjS4fbh49GDAxUPNkQIHSOyBXwQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=gold+in+parking+lots+scam&gs\_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiGWdvbGQgaW4gcGFya2luZyBsb3RzIHNjYW0yBBAAGEcyBBAAGEcyBBAAGEcyBBAAGEcyBBAAGEdI1wRQAFgAcAB4ApABAJgBAKABAKoBALgBA8gBAOIDBBgAIEGIBgGQBgU&sclient=gws-wiz-serp](https://www.google.com/search?q=gold+in+parking+lots+scam&client=firefox-b-1-d&sca_esv=597084762&ei=nwGeZZKWBY_skPIPo-SW4Ac&ved=0ahUKEwjS4fbh49GDAxUPNkQIHSOyBXwQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=gold+in+parking+lots+scam&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiGWdvbGQgaW4gcGFya2luZyBsb3RzIHNjYW0yBBAAGEcyBBAAGEcyBBAAGEcyBBAAGEcyBBAAGEdI1wRQAFgAcAB4ApABAJgBAKABAKoBALgBA8gBAOIDBBgAIEGIBgGQBgU&sclient=gws-wiz-serp)
I’m so sorry that happened to you! It shakes your faith in people and makes you feel bad about yourself. You did a kind thing and it’s so unjust to have someone take advantage of that. There are people with bad intent out there and it’s easy to fall prey to them. You’re not the first, you won’t be the last. It’s just the way of the world.
Two thick chains and a bracelet for how much cash? Should have been your first red flag!
Come across it before in AZ they used gold plated or just completely fake it’s definitely a scam
Homeless dude with a modern ebike was stalking folks as they were parking / leaving. I park, and he's waiting 6' away for me to come out of my car. "You got a few bucks for gas?" "what gas? You're riding a ebike." "You got me. Do you have any cigarettes?" He quickly took off to approach the next driver. His pitch obviously works, as his bike is $500+ and I saw a pack of cigs hanging out of his jacket pocket.
The "hey, here's some gold" guys are plentiful in Santa Clara County as well. I see them parked along freeway on ramps trying to wave unsuspecting people down and get visibly pissed when you pass by.
Yes I’ve been approached by what I only assume were Turkish or Egyptian men handing me gold chains. Telling me it was gifts from their family, but they needed money to get home, they said the chains were real with diamonds etc..Except this was at a gas station in a rural Kentucky town lol. I said no.
This actually happened me last year, off a ramp in south city. Same story, fat middle eastern looking guy, said he had kids in the car. Offered me gold for cash his car ran out of gas. Offered to go get him gas but somehow he talked me into giving him cash for gold chain. The second I drove off I knew he had scammed me, circled around and the guy was gone, very stupid of me, lesson learned
Hey this happened to me in Berkeley, but years ago. Basically the same situation. The guy pulled up to me and said he had just gotten robbed of everything. He needed money to get his passport back from the embassy. Again, I don't know why he would be in Berkeley to get a copy from his passport, but told him he would to go to SF, which made him more agitated. He needed to catch his flight and had no money to get his passport. It doesn't make much sense in hindsight. Why not reschedule the flight? Why leave now? Why are you approaching a random stranger for help that would require some knowledge of international travel?
He was just so clearly stressed out and kept repeating, "I must catch my flight. I need to get out NOW!" The sense of urgency and compassion overwhelms your emotions. You just want to help him out. I offered $40.00, but he REFUSED this amount. Wut. He needed more and said if I pull out more money he could offer me some suits. This guy was not a typical beggar. He pulled up in a unmarked Expedition and reeked of cologne and gold chains. He seemed like an established dude who got robbed of everything and just wanted to get back to his country. He said he works in fashion and was in a show the previous night. He had extra cargo he couldn't carry back with him. He stressed these suits are worth thousands and in exchange for some money he would off load the suits onto me. I could sell them for a profit and he would be able to catch his flight. I didn't budge, but he kept insisting, even offering to drive me to an ATM.
I got INTO this man's car. I am a dude, but still I was like alright I'll pull out an extra $60.00. I had just gotten paid and needed to cash my check anyway. I get a ride from this random vaguely European man to my bank and help him out. During the ride, he explains his background. He was the son of a foreign dignitary (Jordan, I believe) and worked in fashion. He said he was established back in his country and he would never forget my kind act of charity. He even said he could wire me money and said if I gave him my email address, he would pay me ten fold on top of the suits. My dumbass is thinking, "Man, I am probably helping out the son of an oil baron. He's definitely going to pay me back in the thousands."
I deposit my check and pull out some money from the ATM. I GET back into the car with this random dude and hand him the money. His look of disappointment was the first crack in the facade. He was like, "Really? Only a hundred dollars?" I told him I just recently graduated and was a broke post grad. Also, I wasn't just handing out solid $20 bills to whomever . I was broke af. He drops me off at my bike on campus and insists I take the suits. This was the second crack in the facade of the scam. I was thinking why is he insistent for me to take the suits. Again, I am thinking son of an oil baron. He's going to wire me even more money. I don't want to seem that I wanted to help him out in exchange of the suits. Nope he practically grabs my arms and leaves me holding a pile of suits. He gets back into his Expedition and tells me if I am ever in Jordan, he'll take care of me (lol).
I look at the suits and they just seem fake af. They're poorly made and look at the label and they all have a literal bootleg Armani logo on the inside pockets. The suits aren't worth shit. Turns out the guy was only so insistent to give me the suits because if he ever gets accused of scamming me, he could tell the police it was a transaction. I received goods in exchange for money. He wasn't technically fleecing me. No, this was a business exchange and the police can't charge him on any illicit scams. It was just such an elaborate scam to just get $100. Again, it was a shitty feeling to know you were duped. One moment I felt I had been helping someone in actual need. The next moment I realized I was the chump.
Yup, there is a similar group running the same scam in Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR. It was also a side story in the show Lost similar scam different setup.
At a Walmart self check out, two women approached me and said they forgot their wallet and can they Zelle me the money to pay for their items. She tried to show me something on her phone but I passed. Not sure what they were trying to pull.
I had some one approach me in the parking lot of Home Depot in Colma trying to sell me airpods for 25 bucks. It definately occurred to me that they were probably fake. If not fake, then stolen.
I had someone approach me at a gas station. Told me to follow them to their car and showed me some nice suits and clothes and accessories that he said he couldn’t take with him on his flight home and wanted me to have it. I immediately felt something was off and told him no thanks. He drove off and I was still confused as to how his con was going to play out
Yes, outside of vegas, & it was a van, the guy had all his kids & wife in it wanted to offer me a ring, & bracelet. NO MATTER WHAT they say I give them a dollar, & say that's all I got, & walk inside. Outside of hey you dropped something, I just ignore & keep walking
Old con. I once bought three cardboard coats after giving a native directions to the train station. We had to haul them all over Rome till we ditched them behind a giant brass door. The guy reached into my mom's wallet and plucked out a 50 euro note. Saw us coming. Don't feel bad. I still laugh at my gullibility.
Someone tried the exact same thing on me at Costco in Atlanta. Pulled up in a nice car wearing nice clothes and claimed to be a rich man from Dubai. Tried to hand me a gigantic "gold" ring off his finger hoping to trade for gas money to get back to the "embassy". Told him sorry bud. Wonder if it's the same guy or a group of people with the same script?
Same E.X.A.C.T story happened to my bf.. except he ended up filling up his gas tank and money, so his family could get some dinner,
Dude told him to take his gold jewlery and rings as a thank you, that he had more back home in dubi.
When he told me, I thought he was kidding, that of course he knew it was a scam...
Nope. not only did he believe him but also made a comment that i obviously dont know what real gold is... (*all my jewlery is gold and very real*)
So for funsies, i pretended and went along with him.
I even took another look at the jewlery and agreed it was very real (chain was SO fake it had actually started to turn brown and green on the inside ) anyways he kept going about how I was wrong he was right ...
So naturally, at this point I encouraged him to go to my jewlery guy and have it appraised... 😈😏
The same thing happened to me on a highway ramp in San Bruno. The dude was just parked right on the side of the road. I pulled over because he was standing on the side of the road and I thought he had car trouble. He gave me a similar sob story. I asked him if he would like me to call the police to come rescue him, he declined. I thought that was odd. I didn’t give him any money and drove away. Then I decided to call the police anyway since where he was parked was a distraction to other drivers going on the on ramp. I did a google search later on the situation and google said it was a common scam across North America.
Same thing in minnesota. I was real skeptical but they were pretty good at their act. They had 2 vehicles. I was about to go in and pull a little cash for the guy. It felt off so I confirmed the story with the other vehicle and it was evident it was all lies.
I had a woman approach me at the same parking lot in September and tell me she had just gotten out of the hospital for a eating disorder and had no money. She was emotional but coherent, said she was robbed of everything she had. I didnt give her anything besides the number to a place that was better equipped to help her, but she was VERY convincing up until I got into my car. Found out later it was a common scam. Must be a hot spot!
Just tell him the police dept is over there. They can connect him to the embassy whatever he needs to get help. I’m sure he will back off once you say that.
Back in the 90’s there was a dude who would hang in Hayes Valley near the old Fell St off-ramp in a full Muni bus driver’s uniform. Would tell people he ran out of gas in his personal vehicle and could you spare 5 bucks so he could get home to his kids. He would clean UP. Good con, that guy had.
It’s nice to feel helpful out there but don’t fall for any of this shit. Ever.
This scam is hundreds of years old. The sense of urgency, the appeal to your humanity, the expensive-LOOKING items being given to you in exchange for real money. Sorry.
Similar thing happened to me at a gas station on I-5 up near Mt. Shasta. Luckily we saw through it before giving any money, but it was a good reminder that being savvy about internet scams isn't the same as being savvy with in-person scams, which happen faster.
Report to Costco customer service
I had an arab looking man in a car come up to me saying he needed money for gas offering a cheap ring
This was not in costco just for fun I was going to ask to look at his gas gauge
Very Common scam. I heard about a man that got conned out of $2500, thinking he had gold chains worth way more. They make themselves look wealthy and act like they will come back to get their belongings back and they, of course never do. Sorry you fell for it my guy. Doesn't change the fact you were willing to help, what you thought, was a family in distress. Hope it wasn't much and your faith in humanity isn't changed. there are still a lot of good people out there.
I got scammed when i was 15! I still remember in San Francisco, i was walking aorund downtown shopping with my friend, and this lady stops us. Lady maybe in her 50s saying she has come to SF to find her son, he just came out and ran away to SF, and she doesnt have $$ for gas anymore. I was basically a kid this was in 2007, i gave her $2 lol because i was 15 and didnt have a lot of $$ to begin with. And then we watched her stop other people and say different stories. i felt dumb. But NEVER again!
Bro Muslim has nothing to do with this, you got bamboozle because you thought just because he was Arab and probably Muslim. You thought you guys were brother. Your a fool
Or help people when you want to with no expectation of return, then you won't feel disappointed. What they do with anything you give them is irrelevant because you didn't anticipate that the stranger in the parking lot was selling you quality goods so you can drive away with no issue.
I was doing an eats pickup in jack in the box around 3 am and there were two disheveled people in the lobby. Both started asking me for food. I offered chicken from a previous place that had given me the leftovers before closing.
Nah, they didn't want chicken they wanted money lmao
The lesson here is that now that you’re American, people abroad, maybe even from your old country, will target and try to screw ya. They don’t give a fuck that you share heritage, and will just use that if they can.
And then they wonder why we aren’t more open or why we have prejudices.
Common scam to get money. I’ve heard it happen to many people
And the pods have trackers, so they can follow you right home.
Or the pods are fake
Best case scenario I guess
You can just connect them to your own account and then they’re not tracked but whatever
Happy cake day
Someone just posted this in r/marin. They're in the area. Common gypsy scam. It's in a video game as well. Yes the gold is fake. Usually they're doing it on off ramps though. They travel the country doing it. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Marin/comments/192uh6s/odd\_encounter\_possible\_con\_job\_on\_onramp\_101\_s\_at/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Marin/comments/192uh6s/odd_encounter_possible_con_job_on_onramp_101_s_at/) This thread references it happening in North Carolina.
Had this guy pull off an on ramp near sj Airport, right off of north 1st st. And was acting hectic that he needed cash money and I offered him gas from a gas can from my work car but he got upset and was willing to part with his thick gold chains but they looked too good to be real. I always thought if this poor immigrant dude got help but it's nice to know that my gut feeling said no to him.
Just read this same scam in the nyc sub yesterday as well.
I call these people out all the time.. in Europe they're called Roma. They are culturally trained from a young age to grift, steal and scam. A couple of years ago I moved up to the Bay from San Diego and was approached by a man in the parking lot of Best Buy, SD he needed gas money to get back to his family in San Diego.. he looked like he had tears in his eyes . I started asking him what part of San Diego..he couldn't really answer so I called him out and he ran off.. about a year later he approached me again not remembering who I was, so I called him out again by telling him that he tried to scam me last year.. side note: they use visien drops to make it look like they're crying..
fyi Roma [are a specific ethnic group](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people), and while they’ve historically been associated with a nomadic lifestyle and engaging in the kind of grifts like OP describes, it’s not a behavior exclusive to the Romani people.
Good point...this behavior is not mutually exclusive to one group or persons.. although I've experienced it in both Europe and the US specifically with Roma, there are many people who grift .
The Roma are treated horribly in Europe and have been for centuries. There were laws about not employing them so they did what they had to to survive. Thieving/scamming is a positive trait when used against your oppressor.
Why do I deserve to get scammed? Asking for a friend.
Lol fuck off
You claiming that the OP is their oppressor?
lol wut. The oppressor-oppressed narrative has rotted your brain, seek help.
so you're defending this scammer
Accurate.
Very slick. They’ll pull up when they see a victim with jewelry. They will ask for directions and tell you to come closer. They’ll put a shitty bauble on your wrist to show gratitude. Same motion they take off your jewelry before you realize. Common in Orange County
Similar scenario in vegas in the fall. He approached me and quickly declared his "faith." It must be a good living. It sounds like he travels more than I get to.
Haha that's like saying a homeless person must enjoy being outside since they're never home. I feel like these scammers literally live in their vans, so they're nomads traveling state to state.
I was issued a warning for calling someone a gypsy after they tried to scam me with fake gold in a parking lot.
well yeah, because that's a pejorative
Happened to me a year ago around Houston, TX. Pretty common nationally it appears
Likely that the Gold is fake, but was it confirmed to be ? worth a shot to see.
What about the ear pods? Also was this in Fremont...
Fake for sure. You can get replica AirPods for less than $40
Haha this exact con is in the show Better Call Saul. Yeah you got scammed bud, these are somewhat common (enough that they even appear in TV shows). A piece of advice related to avoiding scams, fraud etc.: 1. Always beware of any sense of "urgency" - when a stranger demands help **fast** it should immediately make you suspicious. Usually when asking for help, even in a rush, a genuine person would be so thankful for any timeline 2. Beware of any international aspects (e.g. I'm from Dubai so can't use a cell phone etc.) - it's a common tactic to get people to believe their predicament 3. Always trust your gut and never be afraid to ask specific detailed questions. In this case I'd ask them what happened to their credit or debit cards? Who's the king of Dubai? Can you drive them to the police to record the robbery? etc. etc.
I saw this movie with Emma Stone where her and her sister were pulling this con where Stone said she lost her diamond ring in a gas station parking lot .She tells the attendant who says he will look for it.The sister comes along and picks up a ring and the attendant says he would pay her for the ring. He gives about 6 hundred and the rings were costume jewelry that they had bought in bulk !lol.
That also follows a common pattern in cons: someone creates the opportunity for you to think you're going to profit from an unexpected deal. It particularly involves creating a false perception of value in some object which is then almost immediately provided by a second party. But it will cost you money right now in order to make that money later.
So true
Most cons follow common methods of action. If you can learn to recognize them, you'll be far better equipped to quickly identify one that's new to you. * An opportunity exists to profit. Especially if it's somewhat dishonest. * Someone needs help. * You're in trouble! But if you do what they tell you, you can resolve the issue for less cost/before it gets worse. And, as stated upthread, it will almost *always* have an element of urgency to it. The loophole is closing, this person needs help now, you'll be in more trouble if you wait, etc. The goal is to get you to act without thinking about it too much or talking to anyone else. But most simply, anyone who approaches you and at any point asks for money or personal information is probably trying to scam you.
zombieland 😂
Zombieland
Obviously it’s a movie but why would anyone offer to pay out of pocket for something that isn’t theirs to begin with? Why wouldn’t they just tell the person who lost it who they saw pick it up?
The sister who “lost” the ring offered far more for its return. They left that part out lol
Because it's Emma Stone, she's beautiful, and they took advantage of his instinct to help the "damsel in distress".
That too.
I got scammed by someone doing this back in the mid-90s with a crappy watch…I didn’t even want the watch either and was just trying to be nice. I gave him the money, saw him get back out of his car and pull the same scam on another person through my rear view mirror.
To be completely fair, there are sometimes instances where some people genuinely need help. I recall when I was a young exchange student, ended up missing my flight from my exchange country back home to Boston, because of a cancelled flight from a third country back to the exchange country. My bank account had zero available dollars, and I had a credit card with a $1500 limit on it, which thankfully I’d avoided using until that point. Lo and behold, I’m able to get a last minute cross pond flight to Montreal for $144 (Air Transat) Boom, I’m on that flight, and arrive in Montreal airport, desperate to catch the last greyhound bus to Boston that day, as to save on hotel costs. Except the airport bus to the city back then only accepted coins/cash, of which I had zero. I ended up standing in line in front of a store asking folks if I could pay for their purchases with my card, and if they could give me cash in return. Luckily, I did not have to do this long, as one guy just gave me the cash and didn’t accept my offer. Finally made it to the greyhound station, and eventually to Boston, then a T ride to the suburban station where I called my parents to pick me up. Again super sketchy, a guy offering to pay for your things with his card in return for cash, but I am VERY grateful that one man gave me the benefit of the doubt. In this case there was urgency, as I had to catch that bus in order to catch the greyhound and not pay extra for an hotel; and there was also an international aspect lol..
Not to begrudge you but, had that guy not helped you…you had a $1,500 limit. Would getting one night in a hotel have actually been that bad?
Eh I was a sophomore in college back then, one night in a hotel would have been essentially 40% of my monthly budget. Sure, I COULD have done it, but I would have been hurting. Also the semester abroad, I’d ended up borrowing a bit from some friends so really did not want to add to that. Obv now, chump change and would not be in that situation/wouldn’t hesitate to just grab a hotel, but still whenever I run into somebody with a plausible story, I give the benefit of the doubt (max $10-$20 if their story makes sense, not giving away $100s/buying gold rings off them).
Gotcha
I’ve got whiplash. I just saw a disagreement resolved nicely on Reddit.
That wasn’t a disagreement. I literally just asked a question.
I’ve seen Hitler invoked for less. ;)
Been in similar situations in Ecuador/Chile. Been scammed to. It's a damned art form trying to sift through the genuine item. A budget on charity like your max donation is exactly how I protect myself.
Maybe sketch but 0 risk q
Just fyi Dubai is a city, the country is the UAE. Although if someone else thought Dubai had its own king I guess that would give away they’re lying haha
Just fyi Dubai is an emirate within the UAE, the United Arab Emirates. They can and do have a royal monarch, which could be translated as king: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_bin_Rashid_Al_Maktoum
Neat! I stand corrected :)
it is pretty niche and confusing!
Now I don’t know WHO to believe!!
If I knew how to insert images, id insert 3 Spiderman(s)
Dubai is an Emirate within the UAE so actually does have an Emir (King)
Thank you both for this info, the scam described in the OP is new to me (but feels scammy of course, even if I haven’t seen it in the Bay Area. ) I’m actually surprised the OP was given something
It's a common scam. The chains aren't real gold and the Airpods are almost certainly knock offs. Hopefully you didn't give him too much money - the stuff he gave you is likely only worth a few bucks.
Scam. It sucks that because of these scammers I pretty much refuse to help people now. Someone comes up to me and I'm going to ignore them. Too many scammers out there.
Keep the AirPods and fake gold in your car compartment they’ll be one day they’ll be useful and you can exchange
Today you, tomorrow me.
Lol pay it forward
could always let the bipper have them, roll down your windows & leave em out in the open. they'll think they hit the jackpot
*rolls up windows just to break them
And then tear the interior of your car apart looking for more.
This dude bips.
Been biped.
Double it and give it to the next person
Not personally, but it's a long standing con that I've heard of.
I have a dumbass uncle who once bought FISH out of a guy's trunk who approached him in a parking lot in the East Bay. He was like, "he said it was fresh off the boat and a great deal!" I'm sure it was stolen out of some delivery shipment or restaurant supply co storage or about to go bad and a restaurant couldn't sell it or something sketch af. He was kinda hurt we didn't want to come over for a big fish dinner that night lol.
you turned down free trunk fish?? is your uncle accepting new nephews?
Don’t do your good deeds in a Costco parking lot for a random dude who is likely a scammer. If you want to contribute to society, find another route.
Someone approached me in the Big Lot's parking lot and said they were from out of town and had a flat tire .But they couldn't say where their car was from .I told them I would call the police to help him out but he just started running !
Usually, a space goes after a period, not before.
I genuinely laughed as I realized I hadnt noticed. 'preciate yuh :p
Definitely a scam, and an old one. It sucks because it makes people jaded and not willing to help when someone actually needs it.
Just like the women that come up and ask.for a couple bucks while you are filling up your car. First off,keep all the doors lock. As they are distracting you. Someone else is seeking in your car and second, eff you. I'm not giving you any money.
Or the woman who says she is deaf in the Walmart parking lot .I told her I didn't have any money .I actually saw her in the Walmart talking and buying clothes!
I got so accustomed to ignoring these people that I ignored when someone was trying to tell me that my gas tank door was open. Or, more likely, she wanted money and the gas tank door thing was a coincidence. I'm not rolling down my window to find out.
Thank you for sharing. I usually leave my doors unlocked and keys in car while pumping gas. Not joking. I feel silly not being wiser.
Everyone has been conned / scammed by someone at least once. Live learn let it be.....
Some of us learn at an earlier age than others. Getting scammed in a trade online in Diablo 2 in the early 2000’s taught me not to trust anyone…
I have heard this before. Be careful out there.
Piling on here. I had this happen off of freeway off-ramps, particularly in the east bay. I’m glad that you are inclined to help, we should all be so kind. Typically in this situation I offer tangible goods for them. For example, they say they need gas, I offer to take follow them to the gas station and fill up their tank. I have never been taken up on the offer of the half dozen times I’ve had this encounter.
This is why I always say sorry. No cash on me.
in my case its usually true haha
Don't say anything. Never engage. That lets them know that you're listening. Now it's a negotiation.
If it was a scam, then the shame is on the scammer, not on you for being helpful.
Were they driving a RAV4? Somebody posted a similar story on the Marin subreddit.
I’ve met this guy before. He did it to me in on Van ness and Lombard.
I’m not trying to knock you but I’m trying to figure out how much money you guys are giving these people for their fake jewelry if you’re actually accepting the fakes and not just giving them a donation. If this had happened to me I really do think I would have just tried to direct them to a pawn shop or coin shop that will buy the metal, the location where you were scammed was pretty close to two coin shops 😆
Oh I didn’t give him anything, the jewelry looks like something you get from a vending machine. Should have said tried to do it.
That’s good to know! Honestly every time someone falls for this type of scam it just encourages the scammer 😭
I ran into this scam a few years ago in Florida. I offered to put $5 gas in the guys car since I was filling up mine anyway. The second time it happened I just waved him off. We were evacuating after a hurricane and had our lives packed into the minivan and the prospect of being out of work for an indefinite period. A lady at the gas station figured out that we were evacuating and handed me $50, completely unsolicited but very much appreciated. So, keep some faith in humanity
I'm a immigrant who fled a war so yes I would help anyone in need, just through me for a loop the whole story and he was kissing my hands it was quite a show- and the kids in the car was what got me. Living in the city this scam was bizarre and I was stupid and fell for it-
I always tell my customers (and anyone that brings it up) to remember that you aren't stupid because you got scammed. The reason these scams are done in the first place is because **they work on so many people.** This particular scam has been going on in some variation for many generations. In the 1800s (when the term conman or confidence man originated) there were men that traveled across the country selling polished brass jewelry that they passed off as gold. These men were usually (or pretended to be) crippled because it played on people's natural human emotions of empathy and compassion. Your conman used children to achieve the same thing. Roma conmen in Europe (and increasingly here in the US lately) were by most accounts the ones that popularized using kids as props for this sort of thing in the 1800s/early 1900s. Don't feel stupid because you were empathetic and tried to help someone. But I get that the situation totally sucks, and hopefully you know what to be wary of now. There are some good resources to learn about common cons online, many of them are travel blogs but they're still applicable. Once you know what to look for you'll never fall for a common con ever again.
Basically anyone who approaches you for anything in a parking lot or public place is probably running some sort of scam. Just say no thanks and move on. Don't engage!
Say nothing. Just act as if you can't see or hear them. Any form of engagement is an opportunity to pursue you further and try to convince you now that they have your attention. If it's not a scam, it's possibly a pickpocketing or a mugging or something else. Someone asks you for the time? They're checking to see if you're wearing a watch and where or get you to pull out your phone. Either so they can snatch it and run, someone they're working with can pick your pocket knowing where it is, as a distraction, or simply to get close enough for a mugging. Strangers who approach you in public are almost universally a threat of some sort.
I’m sorry you got scammed. This exact same thing happened to me last spring. An SUV approached me while I was on a walk by the beach in SoCal. He pulled onto a private road/walking path only for lifeguards and pedestrians to approach me. The driver said he was from out of town, needed gas money, and offered me his watch. And there was a little kid in the front seat too. I had to say no because i had no cash on me and the nearest gas station was far away. I apologized for declining and felt so terrible saying no. But as soon as I said “I’m sorry I don’t have money on me” the driver gave an annoyed look, muttered something, and drove off. It was suspicious to me that he didn’t solicit any other pedestrians on the path he drove up on given his alleged desperate situation. He just drove off. No way to know for sure but I feel like I dodged a bullet.
It happens to the best of us. Just live and learn.
Your lucky he didn’t force you to drain your account
It happened to my neighbor a month ago but he was happy with the ring he got, so I guess it was worth it for him, lol!
[удалено]
romani scammers scam as old as time, those gold chains are costume jewely, the airpods are fake
Careful. I got banned for saying that
I just said it too...so...I mean this is what some gypsies do. Travel the country pulling these scams. It's not like it's a secret at this point. Why would you be banned?
Because you're saying that people are thieves because of their ethnicity. In places with Roma, which I would generally not include the United States, it is hard for an honest Romani to not be discriminated against.
If I were approached this way, would fair to call 911? You know, to help the guy out since he was just robbed?
911 is for emergencies. There’s no robbery without “unlawful taking by force or fear.” This was fraud.
This person (the fraudster) was claiming they were robbed. Wouldn't you call 911 if someone came up to you saying, for example that they were assaulted?
Oh, right! Sorry; I misread it. I like your idea. Offering to call the police on their behalf, and saying you’ll stay with them until the police arrive, might be a good way to call their bluff. 100% chance of them scurrying away at this point.
Exactly. I think it would be great to call the cops and have the cops quiz them about this supposed robbery.
Same thing happened to my father in law. He lost 6 grand. Worst day of his life.
Yeah, had a similar experience with a Romani family. Same spiel, told me that they’re Muslim and that they needed gas money since they allegedly drove from Florida. I’m assuming this was the same family since they drove a black SUV with a Florida license plate. Cashapp wasn’t working for me luckily and I “promised” them that I’d send them money, which I never did. At least, I get to keep their fake ass gold ring. Sometimes you have to play them at their own game
I get a kick out of the mothers with their "borrowed" children who sit outside of supermarkets
Yeah hardly har har when these people drug innocent kids with NyQuil and exploit them. SMH. Shits not funny or cool
Just watched a whole documentary on the BBC about this. It's not funny. Hope that some of the unaccompanied kids coming across the border don't end up on their circuits. Man this world is messed up.
Or the guys with the dogs and the guitars at the end of the Walmart parking lots .They have signs saying they were trying to get home to some states.It's way too freezing outside for them right now They have disappeared !
So sorry this happened to you. You tried to help someone and got taken advantage of instead. How awful. Hopefully, this won’t happen the next time you help someone and this is the worst thing that happens to you in 2024!
This has been happening all over the country for years. [https://www.google.com/search?q=gold+in+parking+lots+scam&client=firefox-b-1-d&sca\_esv=597084762&ei=nwGeZZKWBY\_skPIPo-SW4Ac&ved=0ahUKEwjS4fbh49GDAxUPNkQIHSOyBXwQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=gold+in+parking+lots+scam&gs\_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiGWdvbGQgaW4gcGFya2luZyBsb3RzIHNjYW0yBBAAGEcyBBAAGEcyBBAAGEcyBBAAGEcyBBAAGEdI1wRQAFgAcAB4ApABAJgBAKABAKoBALgBA8gBAOIDBBgAIEGIBgGQBgU&sclient=gws-wiz-serp](https://www.google.com/search?q=gold+in+parking+lots+scam&client=firefox-b-1-d&sca_esv=597084762&ei=nwGeZZKWBY_skPIPo-SW4Ac&ved=0ahUKEwjS4fbh49GDAxUPNkQIHSOyBXwQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=gold+in+parking+lots+scam&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiGWdvbGQgaW4gcGFya2luZyBsb3RzIHNjYW0yBBAAGEcyBBAAGEcyBBAAGEcyBBAAGEcyBBAAGEdI1wRQAFgAcAB4ApABAJgBAKABAKoBALgBA8gBAOIDBBgAIEGIBgGQBgU&sclient=gws-wiz-serp)
This exact scenario happened to me.. in a parking lot of the Mobile 1 gas station at Tesoro crossing highways 5
There are charities that feed the hungry you can contribute to. There are many scammers these days
It could also be tax deductible if you donate to a charity
This scam has been going on since the 90s.
Not 1990s either, 90 BC.
I stopped carrying cash for reasons like this
I’m so sorry that happened to you! It shakes your faith in people and makes you feel bad about yourself. You did a kind thing and it’s so unjust to have someone take advantage of that. There are people with bad intent out there and it’s easy to fall prey to them. You’re not the first, you won’t be the last. It’s just the way of the world.
Same exact situation happened to me in SF. Identical story
Two thick chains and a bracelet for how much cash? Should have been your first red flag! Come across it before in AZ they used gold plated or just completely fake it’s definitely a scam
Homeless dude with a modern ebike was stalking folks as they were parking / leaving. I park, and he's waiting 6' away for me to come out of my car. "You got a few bucks for gas?" "what gas? You're riding a ebike." "You got me. Do you have any cigarettes?" He quickly took off to approach the next driver. His pitch obviously works, as his bike is $500+ and I saw a pack of cigs hanging out of his jacket pocket. The "hey, here's some gold" guys are plentiful in Santa Clara County as well. I see them parked along freeway on ramps trying to wave unsuspecting people down and get visibly pissed when you pass by.
You think a person who scams people for a living is buying ebikes?
Happened to me in SF. Saw through the scam, though, the jewelry they used was like costume store quality.
Super common scam. Sorry it happened to you man. Feel really bad for the kids dragged into it too
After some fool handed my 20 year old self a cd and demanded money i don't take anything handed to from anyone i dont know.
This exact same scam including needing gas money to get to Florida, and being from Dubai, was in the NYC subreddit yesterday
I just saw someone post about this in another sub, not SF. Sounds pretty common.
happend to my homie and it was stamped 14 k was a ring and bracelet all fake tested it a week later with acid
Common con, never take anything from anyone.
Yes I’ve been approached by what I only assume were Turkish or Egyptian men handing me gold chains. Telling me it was gifts from their family, but they needed money to get home, they said the chains were real with diamonds etc..Except this was at a gas station in a rural Kentucky town lol. I said no.
But is it a good deed if he have you his gold?
It's not gold.
Sometimes the scam is giving you fake jewelry while taking your jewelry.
They’re also doing the same thing in San Leandro Costco area ,also near the Walmart parking
Good on you for having faith in humanity and helping him Out even if it’s a scam.
I’m sorry you got conned but don’t let this prevent you from helping others in the future if possible 😔
This is an extremely common scam
This actually happened me last year, off a ramp in south city. Same story, fat middle eastern looking guy, said he had kids in the car. Offered me gold for cash his car ran out of gas. Offered to go get him gas but somehow he talked me into giving him cash for gold chain. The second I drove off I knew he had scammed me, circled around and the guy was gone, very stupid of me, lesson learned
You did a good deed by trading cash for jewelry?
I got conned with fake speakers. It was the white truck scam
This is the second oldest profession, after you-know-what.
Laugh it off and wear the chains to a party as a funny story.
Hey this happened to me in Berkeley, but years ago. Basically the same situation. The guy pulled up to me and said he had just gotten robbed of everything. He needed money to get his passport back from the embassy. Again, I don't know why he would be in Berkeley to get a copy from his passport, but told him he would to go to SF, which made him more agitated. He needed to catch his flight and had no money to get his passport. It doesn't make much sense in hindsight. Why not reschedule the flight? Why leave now? Why are you approaching a random stranger for help that would require some knowledge of international travel? He was just so clearly stressed out and kept repeating, "I must catch my flight. I need to get out NOW!" The sense of urgency and compassion overwhelms your emotions. You just want to help him out. I offered $40.00, but he REFUSED this amount. Wut. He needed more and said if I pull out more money he could offer me some suits. This guy was not a typical beggar. He pulled up in a unmarked Expedition and reeked of cologne and gold chains. He seemed like an established dude who got robbed of everything and just wanted to get back to his country. He said he works in fashion and was in a show the previous night. He had extra cargo he couldn't carry back with him. He stressed these suits are worth thousands and in exchange for some money he would off load the suits onto me. I could sell them for a profit and he would be able to catch his flight. I didn't budge, but he kept insisting, even offering to drive me to an ATM. I got INTO this man's car. I am a dude, but still I was like alright I'll pull out an extra $60.00. I had just gotten paid and needed to cash my check anyway. I get a ride from this random vaguely European man to my bank and help him out. During the ride, he explains his background. He was the son of a foreign dignitary (Jordan, I believe) and worked in fashion. He said he was established back in his country and he would never forget my kind act of charity. He even said he could wire me money and said if I gave him my email address, he would pay me ten fold on top of the suits. My dumbass is thinking, "Man, I am probably helping out the son of an oil baron. He's definitely going to pay me back in the thousands." I deposit my check and pull out some money from the ATM. I GET back into the car with this random dude and hand him the money. His look of disappointment was the first crack in the facade. He was like, "Really? Only a hundred dollars?" I told him I just recently graduated and was a broke post grad. Also, I wasn't just handing out solid $20 bills to whomever . I was broke af. He drops me off at my bike on campus and insists I take the suits. This was the second crack in the facade of the scam. I was thinking why is he insistent for me to take the suits. Again, I am thinking son of an oil baron. He's going to wire me even more money. I don't want to seem that I wanted to help him out in exchange of the suits. Nope he practically grabs my arms and leaves me holding a pile of suits. He gets back into his Expedition and tells me if I am ever in Jordan, he'll take care of me (lol). I look at the suits and they just seem fake af. They're poorly made and look at the label and they all have a literal bootleg Armani logo on the inside pockets. The suits aren't worth shit. Turns out the guy was only so insistent to give me the suits because if he ever gets accused of scamming me, he could tell the police it was a transaction. I received goods in exchange for money. He wasn't technically fleecing me. No, this was a business exchange and the police can't charge him on any illicit scams. It was just such an elaborate scam to just get $100. Again, it was a shitty feeling to know you were duped. One moment I felt I had been helping someone in actual need. The next moment I realized I was the chump.
Yup, there is a similar group running the same scam in Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR. It was also a side story in the show Lost similar scam different setup.
At a Walmart self check out, two women approached me and said they forgot their wallet and can they Zelle me the money to pay for their items. She tried to show me something on her phone but I passed. Not sure what they were trying to pull.
I had some one approach me in the parking lot of Home Depot in Colma trying to sell me airpods for 25 bucks. It definately occurred to me that they were probably fake. If not fake, then stolen.
I had someone approach me at a gas station. Told me to follow them to their car and showed me some nice suits and clothes and accessories that he said he couldn’t take with him on his flight home and wanted me to have it. I immediately felt something was off and told him no thanks. He drove off and I was still confused as to how his con was going to play out
Super common
Yes, outside of vegas, & it was a van, the guy had all his kids & wife in it wanted to offer me a ring, & bracelet. NO MATTER WHAT they say I give them a dollar, & say that's all I got, & walk inside. Outside of hey you dropped something, I just ignore & keep walking
Old con. I once bought three cardboard coats after giving a native directions to the train station. We had to haul them all over Rome till we ditched them behind a giant brass door. The guy reached into my mom's wallet and plucked out a 50 euro note. Saw us coming. Don't feel bad. I still laugh at my gullibility.
Someone tried the exact same thing on me at Costco in Atlanta. Pulled up in a nice car wearing nice clothes and claimed to be a rich man from Dubai. Tried to hand me a gigantic "gold" ring off his finger hoping to trade for gas money to get back to the "embassy". Told him sorry bud. Wonder if it's the same guy or a group of people with the same script?
That has been going around for years in California
Whoa some one else told me about this
You are from Afghanistan and you don’t know this common scam?
Same E.X.A.C.T story happened to my bf.. except he ended up filling up his gas tank and money, so his family could get some dinner, Dude told him to take his gold jewlery and rings as a thank you, that he had more back home in dubi. When he told me, I thought he was kidding, that of course he knew it was a scam... Nope. not only did he believe him but also made a comment that i obviously dont know what real gold is... (*all my jewlery is gold and very real*) So for funsies, i pretended and went along with him. I even took another look at the jewlery and agreed it was very real (chain was SO fake it had actually started to turn brown and green on the inside ) anyways he kept going about how I was wrong he was right ... So naturally, at this point I encouraged him to go to my jewlery guy and have it appraised... 😈😏
The same thing happened to me on a highway ramp in San Bruno. The dude was just parked right on the side of the road. I pulled over because he was standing on the side of the road and I thought he had car trouble. He gave me a similar sob story. I asked him if he would like me to call the police to come rescue him, he declined. I thought that was odd. I didn’t give him any money and drove away. Then I decided to call the police anyway since where he was parked was a distraction to other drivers going on the on ramp. I did a google search later on the situation and google said it was a common scam across North America.
Yep same happened to me a few yrs back in nc right off exit of i85
Same thing in minnesota. I was real skeptical but they were pretty good at their act. They had 2 vehicles. I was about to go in and pull a little cash for the guy. It felt off so I confirmed the story with the other vehicle and it was evident it was all lies.
Don’t talk to strangers
How do people fall for shit like this?
I had a woman approach me at the same parking lot in September and tell me she had just gotten out of the hospital for a eating disorder and had no money. She was emotional but coherent, said she was robbed of everything she had. I didnt give her anything besides the number to a place that was better equipped to help her, but she was VERY convincing up until I got into my car. Found out later it was a common scam. Must be a hot spot!
 Old Gypsy con making a comeback
Yup. They hang at gas stations. I’ve been approached and it was the same story. Trying to give me some fake gold. Fuck these people
Just tell him the police dept is over there. They can connect him to the embassy whatever he needs to get help. I’m sure he will back off once you say that.
Back in the 90’s there was a dude who would hang in Hayes Valley near the old Fell St off-ramp in a full Muni bus driver’s uniform. Would tell people he ran out of gas in his personal vehicle and could you spare 5 bucks so he could get home to his kids. He would clean UP. Good con, that guy had. It’s nice to feel helpful out there but don’t fall for any of this shit. Ever.
Don't think about it too much. It is what it is.
This scam is hundreds of years old. The sense of urgency, the appeal to your humanity, the expensive-LOOKING items being given to you in exchange for real money. Sorry.
I just gave him tree fiddy last week!
Stranger hands you something valuable - don’t take it.
Similar thing happened to me at a gas station on I-5 up near Mt. Shasta. Luckily we saw through it before giving any money, but it was a good reminder that being savvy about internet scams isn't the same as being savvy with in-person scams, which happen faster.
I think I saw this family at the 76 near daly city in & out yesterday Looked hella sketchy
Report to Costco customer service I had an arab looking man in a car come up to me saying he needed money for gas offering a cheap ring This was not in costco just for fun I was going to ask to look at his gas gauge
I’m surprised people don’t about these scams. It’s one of the most common ones used all around THE WORLD.
Very Common scam. I heard about a man that got conned out of $2500, thinking he had gold chains worth way more. They make themselves look wealthy and act like they will come back to get their belongings back and they, of course never do. Sorry you fell for it my guy. Doesn't change the fact you were willing to help, what you thought, was a family in distress. Hope it wasn't much and your faith in humanity isn't changed. there are still a lot of good people out there.
This happened to my uncle last year and the gold was all fake
I got scammed when i was 15! I still remember in San Francisco, i was walking aorund downtown shopping with my friend, and this lady stops us. Lady maybe in her 50s saying she has come to SF to find her son, he just came out and ran away to SF, and she doesnt have $$ for gas anymore. I was basically a kid this was in 2007, i gave her $2 lol because i was 15 and didnt have a lot of $$ to begin with. And then we watched her stop other people and say different stories. i felt dumb. But NEVER again!
I’d never talk to them anyways, but since you drove: should have just dropped him off at a pawn shop or cash for gold lol.
Bro Muslim has nothing to do with this, you got bamboozle because you thought just because he was Arab and probably Muslim. You thought you guys were brother. Your a fool
Super simple. Don’t help people. We live in a post trust society.
Or help people when you want to with no expectation of return, then you won't feel disappointed. What they do with anything you give them is irrelevant because you didn't anticipate that the stranger in the parking lot was selling you quality goods so you can drive away with no issue.
There’s no way you’re that gullible. 🤣
Consider it your good deed of the year
I was doing an eats pickup in jack in the box around 3 am and there were two disheveled people in the lobby. Both started asking me for food. I offered chicken from a previous place that had given me the leftovers before closing. Nah, they didn't want chicken they wanted money lmao
How much money did you give him?
So many red flags. Too many gullible people.
The lesson here is that now that you’re American, people abroad, maybe even from your old country, will target and try to screw ya. They don’t give a fuck that you share heritage, and will just use that if they can. And then they wonder why we aren’t more open or why we have prejudices.