How can some people live with themselves?

[SerendipityCrafts]

There is a con artist who is preying on good samaritans in and around our area. To make it worse, DH and I are caught up in it because of where we live.

A young woman approaches people (mostly men) asking for $40. Her story is always fairly similar ...she's locked out of her apartment or her car and she needs the money for a cab or a tow truck. She tells people that she lives in the building where I live. They give her money and then drive her to the apt. so that she can "re-pay" them. She gets out saying that she will just run into her apartment and get the money but this is when she pulls her disappearing act.

Since we are apt. #1 the scammed person rings our bell, thinking that we are the landlord and we may be able to help them locate the woman. She tried to scam us us twice (June & again in November 06) but the most she was going to get out of us was a lift someplace (she disappeared when Hugh went to get his jacket to drive her to the bus station.

Last Wednesday night, she scammed one poor guy. Our buzzer rang at midnight. We didn't let him in though because of the time of night.

On Saturday night, she nabbed another 2 poor schmucks within hours of each other. When they rang our buzzer, we let them told them that we suspected that they had been conned and handed them our phone so that they could call the police.

The only thing is ........ the police can't do anything because these people are giving her the money willingly. It's not like she's holding them up.

And .... if they could actually find out where she lives, they can't take her to small claims because the amount is under $50.

How can people like this sleep at night?

[kevinsbride2B]

Don't you just love breaking your back working for a living just to make ends meat and there are people doing this sort of a thing out there?
I'm a youth worker who deals with kids that pull this kind of **** all the time. Let me just tell you though that I spends HOURS a day trying to get this through there head that this is wrong and how it affects others!
I haven't stollen a single thing in my whole like. I think I have to big a concious for this. Not even a chocolate bar as a kid.
I hope this all works out for you Elizabeth and you don't have to deal wih this s**t for much longer!!!

[SerendipityCrafts]

I hope this all works out for you Elizabeth and you don't have to deal wih this s**t for much longer!!!

The guys that rang our door bell almost broke our heart. One was in his 20's .... reminded us of Hugh's son. We almost felt like giving him some money just so that he wouldn't look so beaten up.

The other guy was in his 30's ... and he told us that he only had $60 for the week and now he had to figure out how to make do with $20.

Yeah it boils my butt when I hear stuff like this. We work ourselves sick (literally) to make what we do and have what we have and people like her, tell bold faced lies with a straight face and go on to do it again the next day.

The first time she approached me, I was just coming home from a business trip. It was midnight and my boss was helping me unload my luggage. She told him that her Mom was taken to the hospital and she needed money for cab fare. He offered her a lift because the hospital was on his way home. She didn't take him up on the offer.

When she approached DH and I in November, my spidey senses kicked in because she (and her story) were familiar to me. DH offered her a lift to the bus and bus fare. We told her we didn't have $40. DH said he just had to grab his shoes and she said she would wait outside. I told him before he left to check around the corner just in case, before opening the door to the car. When he went outside, she was gone.

[hummingbird521]

I had something similar happen to me a few years ago when I first moved into a new apt. I was working nights and days then and my daughter was home alone a lot. This is why it upset me so much. I was up late one night after work winding down on the computer. I had one light on. The doorbell rang. I never should have answered it that late but anyway this woman and little boy were standing there and told me that their car ran out of gas on the way to the hospital following the ambulance. They only wanted enough money to get some gas. I fell for it. I gave them $10 (I know not much) and then went outside and watched them. They walked straight down the street to what is known as crack alley. She had told me she would of course repay it to me the next week. I never seen her again till another night she actually had forgotten she had already hit me once. she tried the same scam again. Only this time her and her son got caught.

[SerendipityCrafts]

LOL update ....

When the police told us that they were powerless, we asked them if this is something we could contact the media about. They told us to go ahead and so, I wrote an email to the radio station this morning.

I just got an email back .... they want me to call in at 2:00 and they are going to use the story as a launch pad for their topic "Do you give money to those in need at Christmas?"

Want to hear me mess up? I should be on the air at 2:15 or so - www.cjad.com (http://www.cjad.com)

********************************************

Hugh is the beacon for the needy but I love that about him. He's compassionate and always willing to lend a hand. I am the skeptical one.

There was this unkept man that came to where DH worked. It's important to know that he worked in a reconverted church & he happened to be dressed all in black that day.

The man told the receptionist that he was there looking for someone. He said that he didn't know his name but he would know him when he saw him. DH came out of his office for something, the man pointed at him and said "that's him! I was sent to speak to that man".

Hugh brought the man into his office. The man told him that he was sent here to speak to him. Hugh asked who sent him. The man reached into his shirt and pulled out a crucifix .... and said HE sent me.

DH explained that he wasn't a minister or a priest and that the building wasn't a church any longer. The man told Hugh that he knew that but "HE told me that you would help me".

Hugh did end up giving the guy $20 and driving him to the bus station. The man said he was trying to get "up north" to see his family.

When he got back to the office, the receptionist stopped him and told him to listen ..... on the radio they were playing a song ..... the words were something like this ......

What if Jesus came back as a hobo?

do do do do - still sends chills up my spine!

[countrygirl]

I can't believe that she does this. There has to be a way to catch her. Does she actually show up to your apt complex? I wonder if there is a way to catch her on camera to find out who she is?

[SerendipityCrafts]

I can't believe that she does this. There has to be a way to catch her. Does she actually show up to your apt complex? I wonder if there is a way to catch her on camera to find out who she is?

The two times that I have run into her she has been at the building. The two guys she scammed on Saturday night were scammed elsewhere. She just told them that she lived in our building. We don't have cameras ... just intercom systems and buzzers to let people in.

[countrygirl]

Well good luck w it. I wish I had sound on my comp, i would love to hear what you say!!!

[ladymelissa]

Evidently she doesn't seem to be doing anything against the law or the police would be more cooperative. Is there any way you could get her for trespassing? I love your idea of getting it on the radio, I would also try a local TV station so others don't fall for this sort of thing.

I am sorry, but I think some people are just stupid! To fall for a story like that, it doesn't even make much sense. I give you $40, then drive you to your apt. to get $40 more dollars to give back to me? I might offer my phone so she could make a call to get back into her apartment, but not just hand over $40.

[ladymelissa]

I heard you!!! You were on a little early, I tuned in at 2:13 and caught the last couple minutes. Good for you for warning people!

[SerendipityCrafts]

I heard you!!! You were on a little early, I tuned in at 2:13 and caught the last couple minutes. Good for you for warning people!Yeah they put me on first thing. I wasn't expecting to get right on the air. I don't think I stumbled too too much did I??? LOL

I just hope that at least one person heard me and will not be scammed.

[ladymelissa]

No, not at all. I don't think I heard the whole thing, I tuned in at the part where you were saying that she runs toward your building which is also near a residential area and that it's not really against the law b/c of the amount and the fact that people are willingly giving her the money. And then you were talking about the 2 younger guys. You sounded very coherent and just really concerned that this is stopped.

[4424]

good for you for actually doing something about it. too many people probably were upset but did nothing about it. i honestly dont know how people can actually do things like that and still go to bed at the end of the day feeling ok. since i dont' wish anyone harm, i still believe in karma!

[BriansBride07]

Sorry I missed you being on so I didn't hear your plea. But im sure it was wonderful. Kuddo's to you for trying to help even just 1 person out.