con woman

[FelicityNormal]

To pull this con over and over again and to be convincing at it....must be reasonably hard work, take time and skill, plus legwork on top of that. Wouldn't it be more relaxing and less stressful to just apply for a normal (non-criminal) job and leave it at that?

[Tru]

This person/ring of people, is probably earning at least the minimum wage, without being taxed. Shop work pays about ?5 an hour doesn't it? - if she manages to scam around 5 people a day, Monday to Friday, between ?5 and ?10 a scam, some people being more generous than others - she would be doing quite well relatively, and her time is her own. This person has made a decision (considering the amount of years this has been going on) and has honed her skills to become a 'success' at what she does. A shame, as given the right opportunity it sounds like she could have ended up on the stage...thanks for the warning, we shall be prepared should she stage a scene outside our front door - perhaps a round of applause would do...

[FelicityNormal]

Presuming her time is not really her own if she's spending it gadding about scamming people? It must actually be reasonably hard work?

[Asset]

my description of the woman who came to my door with the electricity key story about 3 years ago:

approx 5'5"

late twenties/early thirties

close cropped hair

slim

dressed in all black

pointy face

non-descript accent, possible slight northern twang.

I would say West Indian but could be wrong there.

[anna_r]

jumpinjackflash Wrote:

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

> Is she very light skinned like she could be mixed

> race and looks about mid 30's? I think this was

> the same woman I saw whilst waiting for bus on

> corner of Mertins Rd/Ivydale Rd. she asked me for

> some cash and she was crying saying she needed

> milk for her kids. I told her didn't have any

> cash (only had debit card) but I wouldn't have

> given it to her anyway as did not believe her.

>

> She asked everybody that walked by and even chased

> one guy on his push bike. If it's the same woman

> then she is very convincing as she can cry real

> tears! I actually flt bit sorry for her.

This woman came up to me a couple of months ago with the same story about milk for a child near Honor Oak Park station. Quite scary as I was on my own, 8 months pregnant and it was dark (around 6:30pm) and she was being very very pushy. Didn't give her anything and she went straight onto the next person, chasing them down the street.

[FelicityNormal]

So she actually CHASES people. She really does not sound right in the head.

[*Bob*]

As a result of this thread, I heard she's currently being headhunted by nPower.

[bigbadwolf]

Thats funny, I could have sworn she was recruiting for the Jehovahs witnesses.

[FelicityNormal]

:)-D*Bob* Wrote:

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

> As a result of this thread, I heard she's

> currently being headhunted by nPower.

[veryseriousgirl]

anna_r Wrote:

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

> jumpinjackflash Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Is she very light skinned like she could be

> mixed

> > race and looks about mid 30's? I think this

> was

> > the same woman I saw whilst waiting for bus on

> > corner of Mertins Rd/Ivydale Rd. she asked me

> for

> > some cash and she was crying saying she needed

> > milk for her kids. I told her didn't have any

> > cash (only had debit card) but I wouldn't have

> > given it to her anyway as did not believe her.

> >

> > She asked everybody that walked by and even

> chased

> > one guy on his push bike. If it's the same

> woman

> > then she is very convincing as she can cry real

> > tears! I actually flt bit sorry for her.

>

> This woman came up to me a couple of months ago

> with the same story about milk for a child near

> Honor Oak Park station. Quite scary as I was on my

> own, 8 months pregnant and it was dark (around

> 6:30pm) and she was being very very pushy. Didn't

> give her anything and she went straight onto the

> next person, chasing them down the street.

Sounds like the same woman who periodically turned up at Brockley station when we lived there. She would weep agressively and demand money for baby milk. The first time I saw her, I was really alarmed for her and gave her a fiver. Every subsequent time I saw her over the next several years, I felt that little bit more naive for having fallen for her schtick in the first place.

[Sue]

FelicityNormal Wrote:

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

> :)-D*Bob* Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > As a result of this thread, I heard she's

> > currently being headhunted by nPower.

xxxxx

:))

[FelicityNormal]

How does one "weep aggressively"?

veryseriousgirl Wrote:

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

> anna_r Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > jumpinjackflash Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > Is she very light skinned like she could be

> > mixed

> > > race and looks about mid 30's? I think this

> > was

> > > the same woman I saw whilst waiting for bus

> on

> > > corner of Mertins Rd/Ivydale Rd. she asked

> me

> > for

> > > some cash and she was crying saying she

> needed

> > > milk for her kids. I told her didn't have

> any

> > > cash (only had debit card) but I wouldn't

> have

> > > given it to her anyway as did not believe

> her.

> > >

> > > She asked everybody that walked by and even

> > chased

> > > one guy on his push bike. If it's the same

> > woman

> > > then she is very convincing as she can cry

> real

> > > tears! I actually flt bit sorry for her.

> >

> > This woman came up to me a couple of months ago

> > with the same story about milk for a child near

> > Honor Oak Park station. Quite scary as I was on

> my

> > own, 8 months pregnant and it was dark (around

> > 6:30pm) and she was being very very pushy.

> Didn't

> > give her anything and she went straight onto

> the

> > next person, chasing them down the street.

>

> Sounds like the same woman who periodically turned

> up at Brockley station when we lived there. She

> would weep agressively and demand money for baby

> milk. The first time I saw her, I was really

> alarmed for her and gave her a fiver. Every

> subsequent time I saw her over the next several

> years, I felt that little bit more naive for

> having fallen for her schtick in the first place.

[frump]

Persistence can come across as very aggressive, especially when the usual rules of social engagement seem to have been dispensed with. When someone is in your face making hectoring demands, that can feel very intimidating. Whatever is the root of this woman's difficulty, she is perceived by some as aggressive and by others as distressing. When she approaches children in the ame manner I believe she is crossing a fine line. My daughter found it aggressive and distressing, weeping or not.

[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.

[Asset]

I've got de-ja-vu

[Eliza.D]

Sorry for labouring the point but just to let people know that somtimes things can turn nasty.

[summerjt]

Really sorry to hear about your Dad's experiences, Eliza. Reading this thread I realise that although I'm not from London I've lived here long enough to basically be very mistrustful of ANYONE who approaches you unsolicited. My experience is that people who beg/scam/persuade people to part with money spend it on a)drugs b)alcohol. I think an earlier poster said "you'd have to be on crack"... er, yes, that's probably the most likely explanation. This may sound hard-hearted, but there is a LOT of help out there for people with substance misuse problems. Enabling someone to continue using substances, in my humble opinion, is not the best thing to do. It's sad the lengths people go to. As for answering the door - I use my spyhole, and don't let anyone in I'm not expecting - simple.

[snoozequeen1]

summerjt Wrote:

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

My experience is

> that people who beg/scam/persuade people to part

> with money spend it on a)drugs b)alcohol.

Indeed, that's absolutely my experience of "analysts" and "traders" at Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, Morgan Stanley and the like. Very like that. And we should add prostitutes of course. They do like to spend on prostitutes.

Just if I might ask, please, because I really don't get it, but why so much indignation about a woman who, after all, does work for the money, providing a little performance - the quality of which is often commented on - and relieves most people of ?1, tops?

Whereas there is not a word about the pirates who have robbed us all blind by telling determined whoperoos over a decade, stashed their plunder in tax havens and are still causing as much instability as they can so they can keep on feeding their endless psychotic greed?

The bankers were given - what was it? ?48,000,000,000 is that right - forty eight billion pounds - of our money, to save them from the consequences of their own greed and lying, so they trousered it, are sharing it out now between themselves as bonuses while they merrily pull the plug on healthy businesses overnight. And they are demanding more to stop the economy disappearing even further down the drain.

If the begging woman is mad, then what are we?

? Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. ?

[Eliza.D]

Totally can't disagree about the Big City banks etc, but a solitary individual scamming, and intimidating peolple who may be also suffering from the effects of down turn in the economy is like adding insult to injury.

[Chick]

She got me too. Stopped my car on the corner of Ivydale/Inverton road last September. Very distressed crying lots sob story about a baby and milk and electricity. I got some money out to give her a tenner, she saw I had ?30.00 and insisted I give her more. She had her head in the car window by then and it was hard to get her to go away. Once bitten.

[Siduhe]

I know it's late, and alcohol may have been taken, but one of the main things I get from this thread is that I live in an area with lots of fundamentally decent people who are willing to give others the benefit of the doubt. Not condoning this woman in any way, but those who have been taken in have nothing to feel bad about IMHO.

[snorky]

snoozequeen1 Wrote:

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

> summerjt Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> My experience is

> > that people who beg/scam/persuade people to

> part

> > with money spend it on a)drugs b)alcohol.

>

> Indeed, that's absolutely my experience of

> "analysts" and "traders" at Goldman Sachs, Lehman

> Brothers, Morgan Stanley and the like. Very like

> that. And we should add prostitutes of course.

> They do like to spend on prostitutes.

>

> Just if I might ask, please, because I really

> don't get it, but why so much indignation about a

> woman who, after all, does work for the money,

> providing a little performance - the quality of

> which is often commented on - and relieves most

> people of ?1, tops?

>

> Whereas there is not a word about the pirates who

> have robbed us all blind by telling determined

> whoperoos over a decade, stashed their plunder in

> tax havens and are still causing as much

> instability as they can so they can keep on

> feeding their endless psychotic greed?

>

> The bankers were given - what was it?

> ?48,000,000,000 is that right - forty eight

> billion pounds - of our money, to save them from

> the consequences of their own greed and lying, so

> they trousered it, are sharing it out now between

> themselves as bonuses while they merrily pull the

> plug on healthy businesses overnight. And they are

> demanding more to stop the economy disappearing

> even further down the drain.

>

> If the begging woman is mad, then what are we?

> ? Insanity in individuals is something rare - but

> in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the

> rule. ?

>

Um

not sure yu can compare the two - one is out and out deception, the other one is a now unhappy party in a once smug symbiotic relationship

[????]

Glides down right wing sends in cross for open goal

[????]

100:))

[Cassius]

Not that I don't think snoozequeen1 has got a point, but what is so unpleasant about this scam is that it is happening on our doorsteps. This woman is knocking on our doors and invading our private space and THEN asking for money - and it would seem at some very anti-social times of day when we are not at our best. I know this sounds a bit NIMBY but its the feeling uneasy in the very place where you should feel safe that I feel so unhappy about.