con woman

[Jacbuc]

I met with police officers from the peckham rye safer neighbourhoods team yesterday who thought they had an idea who this woman was. They will be back in touch shortly and may have photographs for me to see if I can recognise her. I spoke with them about the numbers of people locally who had had the same experience and they would be pleased to hear from anyone who would like to give them information of their own experience. They can be contacted by email on [email protected] address the emails for the attention of PCSO Page and PCSO Hackworth. Many thanks to everyone who replied - hopefully with the numbers of people now aware of her scam she will have less luck locally and even better the police might be able to intervene Thank you all again

[monicaP]

Well done EDF, Despite these turbulent times, people power will prevail!

If I remember correctly she operates with a partner in crime who sits in a car while she knocks on doors, it might be worth taking the number plate down and providing it to the police.

[aicardo]

just got done last night too! she was a tall black lady mid 30s, from "28 Tyrrell Road" (just up the road), she asked for ?6 for her electricity after giving a sob story etc... I gave in.

At the end of the day we get done either the way, the thought of being taken for a mug or by feeling guilty for not helping someone in need. If you have given her some money, I'm sure you'll be handed some fate when you need it!

(she was very convincing though)

[Jeremy]

Oh dear, I hope "honk" isn't reading this...

[Lizziedjango]

I simply cannot understand why people are falling for this woman. Why don't you give her her marching orders?

I would.

[Mark]

It's because she's very convincing. You open the door and she's panting like she's in distress, her voice is distressed and she sounds like someone who really is scared and in need of help. Even her body language is saying "I'm in need". Your automatic reaction is to help and it's hard to tell someone in that situation to go away. What if it's not the person you've read about on the forum and this woman really does need help and you turn her away? How would you feel? And it's only ?6 so sometimes it's better to hand over ?6 and hope she's ok rather than not hand over ?6 and feel guilty.

So look out for a tall black lady, mid 30's asking for ?6. She may say something about children to make you feel even more guilty.

If you're not sure, tell her you're just going to call the police to report this. I did and she suddenly stood upright and boldly and briskly walked away.

Preying on people's good nature is the lowest if the low, it makes people more cautious of helping people in need of genuine help because of the actions of a con woman.

[FelicityNormal]

If the woman really is mentally ill doesn't she need help and treatment rather than scorn? Quite frankly if somebody who is mentally unwell scammed me out of ?6 or ?10 I'd feel like a bit of a prat for falling for it but it is hardly going to have a hugely negative on my life or future.

[alachlan]

So a question - what sort of mental illness drives one to work with an accomplice and create a cogent act to fool people into handing over cash. That sounds like a criminal to me, not a mentally ill person.

[FelicityNormal]

I have absolutely no idea whether this woman is mentally ill or not. However, if the police say she is they likely have some evidence to prove their suspicions.

[TillieTrotter]

Flipping heck, are we supposed to let people rob us because they're mentally ill now! I'm going abit nuts myself, you couldn't let me have a tenner could you.::o

[jaybee82]

This sounds very familiar - a woman came to my door late at night about 2 weeks ago claiming that her car had broken down and she needed money to get a cab to visit her terminally ill mother in hospital. Fortunately I'd read about her tricks and volunteered to drive her and her friend to the hospital, which she then told me was somewhere in North London.

I agree with the post above to be honest. The bloke she was with was clearly in on the act and both were extremely convincing. Now I'm no expert on mental illness but first and foremost this is fraud which makes it a police matter. If she is then taken into custody and plays the mental illness card, then she can be properly assessed by someone qualified to do so.

Haha TT...actually funny you should say that, I think I'VE just come over all distressed too...

[FelicityNormal]

No but have you not heard of compassion FFS? Somebody who goes from door to door, acting strangely and begging for a tenner is either a total loser or mentally ill. If it's the former, she is a sad case and will probably get put on probation or something. If it is the latter, then she is somebody to be pitied and will hopefully get the psychiatric help she needs once she is caught. I mean, damn, her crimes don't exactly sound sophisticated and especially profitable. She sounds like a really sad case to me.

[FelicityNormal]

PS: one of my cousins is mentally ill and has frequently been arrested for ranting and raving in the street, hassling people, threatening people and so on. He is actually paranoid schizophrenic which is a very serious illness but people often don't realize that, or care. He has been beaten up in custody by the police at least once. It bothers me how little compassion we as a society have for the mentally ill. People with mental illnesses are likely not doing these criminal things because they are complete bastards but rather because they are very sick.

[*Bob*]

'loser'

'mentally ill'

I think you forgot 'thief', as another possiblity?

[FelicityNormal]

Thieves are losers and this woman's crimes are very, very minor.

[alachlan]

Indeed Bob - whether they are mentally ill and being taken advantage of by the other party is irrelevant here. The point is that they are preying on people's compassion in the first place and should be dealt with appropriately. If on the other hand she just has cash problems and is engaging in fraud there are facilities to help her, which we already fucking pay for.

(just wanted to clarify the direction of my agreement)

[Jeremy]

Well said alachlan.

[*Bob*]

'Thieves are losers'?

What's this supposed to mean?

So you catch someone climbing out of your front room window with your telly under their arm and your jewellery falling out of their pockets. What do you do? Make the sign of the 'L' at them, knowing that despite them making off with your gear, ultimately you're a winner and they're a loser. Nuff said.

Er.. sorry. no.

[jim_the_chin]

This is not mental illness FN, and it's stigmatising to suggest that a con-man is doing it because they are suffering from mental health problems. I'm sorry to hear about your cousin and he sounds particuarly unwell but that is not typical of people with mental health problems.

[bigbadwolf]

This may sound wierd but have any of you guys considered following her back to where she lives or is based and then calling the police as she seems to be cleaning up in east Dulwich, I'm not that clued up on the law so shoot me down if need be.

[jaybee82]

'Thieves are losers and this woman's crimes are very, very minor'

Yeah. Minor crimes dont count do they. I might go out and key a few peoples cars...

[kongjabar]

I got scammed by her too. I only had 60p in my purse and when I gave it to her she didn't look v impressed. In fact I'm sure she tutted! And when I closed the door, I felt I'd been scammed but didn't think about it till I saw this thread. All the same things happened. Pointed that she lived down road, she couldn't feed her baby etc etc....!!! We are in Nunhead too

[SteveT]

FelicityNormal wrote:- Thieves are losers and this woman's crimes are very, very minor.

Not so FN, if she is doing this on a regular basis say five days a week, she would be raking in hundreds of taxfree pounds.

Per month and year it does add up to a sygnificant amount.

Stop looking through rose tinted spectacles FN, and visit planet Earth sometime.

[Eliza.D]

I'm not suggesting at all that this is the same lady but i'll share this story with you.

About 9 years ago my dad had been visiting my Nan in Streathham. As he came out of her house he was approached by 2 women who asked him for some money for a cab. They said that one of the womens young son was alone at home and the electricity would run out soon.They were very plausable.

He asked them where they lived and they said it was in Dulwich, as he was driving back to Dulwich he said he would drive them to the address.

They got in the car and on the way they asked if he could stop at a petrol station so they could get the electricity card charged.

One got out and went into the petrol station. When she came back the second asked if he could drop her off further down Christchurch Rd.

When he stopped the car the one in the back got out. The one in the front demanded money from him. He of course said no. She lunged at him and pulled out a stanely knife and slashed at his hands. He fought her off.

He had to have surgery to repair the damaged tendons in his hands.

Whilst in hospital he gave a detailed description to the police and told them to go to the petrol station and recover the cc tv camers film. By the time the police went to the petrol station the film had been filmed over.

The women who did this were never caught.

[fractionater]

I'll be ready to punch her in the teeth...that way she won't be able to suck the air through them again!