Wedding ring scam again .

[jane1]

Just to let every one know, I've just had a woman bend down if front of me by the rye book shop, and try the wedding ring scam on me, I didn't fall for it, and she really did try her hardest on me, so please be aware every one...

[a fish]

Bwahahahaha! This one cracks me up. I had someone try it on with me many years ago when I lived in Stockwell, and again a year or two ago in Streatham. I'm amazed people are still trying it. Surely it must go the way of 'My kids are in Croydon and the baby sitter's sick and I need a tenner to get a cab/top my phone up etc etc'

[jane1]

No she said to me(cos I am heavily pregnant at the minute) give me ?20.00 now and you can have this, and if you take it to a pawn shop you can make some money for a buggy for your baby.

[Huggers]

say it's yours and you just lost it, that's why you are there- looking for it, retracing your steps. Effuse with loud gratitude and Then make a huge scene when she refuses to hand it over.

[SBot]

Please explain the scam........intrigued....

[teresa]

i had a women do that to me on monday on lordship lane ..just keeped walking

[peckhambog]

People use plumber's olives (a brass band, pack of 5 from B&Q ?2) to suggest they've just found it and don't mind letting you have it for ?20 (a single brass band) on the illusion that's a gold ring worth somewhat more.

Plays on your greed and naivety.

[uncleglen]

Who are these people? Any pics?

[NewWave]

In The west end it seems to be the romanian gypsies who do the scam, I dont know about elsewhere.

I had a woman do it to me just off Oxford st as I was on my way in to work the other morning. She scooped a gold coloured ring out of the gutter then made lots of noises about having found it, showed it to me, said "Gold" whilst showing me what resembled a hall mark inside the band, she then kept repeating "lucky! you buy!" whilst shoving it at me. I just told her no-if it was gold and she found it she should keep it herself...but she still followed me to my workplace entrance nagging me to buy the thing.

Be warned-they do also seem to do sophisticated faking of hallmarks in the rings too.

[a fish]

Rule of thumb No. 1 with scams - all scams - if it seems too good to be true, it is.

[jimbo1964]

I feel a bit upset nobody has tried it on me. I'd tell her to take the ring and chuck it into the fires of Mount Doom.

[doublesj]

Rule of thumb with scams: you can't cheat an honest man

[Penguin68]

Rule of thumb with scams: you can't cheat an honest man

This isn't actually entirely true - think of the 'I've lost all my money/ had my purse stolen and I must get home to look after my child' scams - those prey not on cupidity but on charity and goodwill. Even when you suspect them and don't fall for them, you go away with a nagging doubt that you're being a bastard. At best these scammers offer (eventual) restitution of the 'loan', but never any profit.

So, you can cheat a generous or charitable man, as well as a dishonest one. Depending on the scam.

[Max123]

This happened to me on North Cross road by a man

[Scribble]

Penguin68: absolutely.

[JohnL]

To me that's still charity - we know they are lying but we give maybe to 'go away'

The man at Sainburys who wants to take your trolley back and pocket the pound.

He doesn't ask for money - but we know what he wants.

Penguin68 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Rule of thumb with scams: you can't cheat an

> honest man

>

> This isn't actually entirely true - think of the

> 'I've lost all my money/ had my purse stolen and I

> must get home to look after my child' scams -

> those prey not on cupidity but on charity and

> goodwill. Even when you suspect them and don't

> fall for them, you go away with a nagging doubt

> that you're being a bastard. At best these

> scammers offer (eventual) restitution of the

> 'loan', but never any profit.

>

> So, you can cheat a generous or charitable man, as

> well as a dishonest one. Depending on the scam.

[Ladysaw]

Happened to me recently by melboure grove trying to cross the road for the library. Shame!

[mrure26]

Happens all over the place, including France.

[claudineslu]

Haha on the other end, I had my handbag stolen travelling back to the UK at Christmas one year, and ended up crying my way back into the UK and people were tremendously kind offering me ?20 notes to help me get home (I literally had nothing on me) I wasn't even asking for it.

I didn't take the money obviously, but I could have easily made a fortune that day.

A lovely gay couple took me into the Eurostar business lounge though and packed my suitcase full of magazines, chocolates and booze. Now THAT stuff I took, smiling sweetly.