Asked for cash, what would you do?

[Jev88]

Don't worry, you are not the first or the last to be had. When i fell for something similar they only had EURO notes to reimburse me - 50 Euro notes that i suspect the paint wasnt dry on........ Any major bank will transmit emergency funds to a cashpoint with a special code - remember this.

 

[Vipar]

Thanks for all the information.

 

[15edward]

i'd like to hear your faith in humanity was justified!!

 

[g3cwi]

i'd like to hear your faith in humanity was justified!!

the bloke who got the money had faith in humanity.

 

[Puddleduck]

We helped out a gentleman who said he was in trouble a few years back.

I know we weren't scammed as when he asked for details so he could repay us I asked him to make a donation to the charity we support. A day later there was message on the charity website thanking the people in the car with reg 123 XYZ for the donation

Sometimes it is genuine and I would have helped as well - maybe not cash but possibly food .

When I see a beggar on the street claiming to be hungry I will sometimes get food for her / him. Sometimes they thank you, other times they spit at you.

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[RandallC]

Isn't it a SAD reflection of the world we live in when your first thought when someone asks for a helping hand "it's a scam"

Just saying is all AND whilst doing that isn't it a sad world that some folks think it's ok to DO Just That!

 

[Ivory55]

I remember many years ago when we had money I went to New York Central Park. I was told if you see someone laid in the bushes keep walking as they are either dead or it’s a trap. Life seems to be the same everywhere.

 

[Wellington]

Possibly. I have been on the reverse end, though. I once left my handbag behind and had no cards or cash with me. I got to our booked site with only diesel fumes left. The site gave me cash and I transferred money to them by internet banking (My phone was already in the van for the satnav. It’s never in my bag)

If I hadn’t had enough diesel to make it there, that might have been me!

 

[Mike Rivers]

If as you say you’re doing ok, then whether it was a scam or not your generous nature helped you decide he needs the money more than you do. And if you were ever out of fuel and out of cash then I’d be happy to help you.

 

[Mike Warland]

On our way to a few nights out in the motorhome we stop off at a service station on the M6 near Staffordshire. We take the dog out for a walk and use the facilities to freshen up a little.
On returning to our van we are approached by a guy who explains he is with his family and needs to get to Holyhead but can’t get any fuel for his car. His credit card is being refused and his wife and daughter are distressed about getting back in time for his ferry.
Reading this and thinking about I would say that we have been had and given in to begging at the services, however we couldn’t walk away and gave the guy £40 believing his story, we also saw others after also giving him some cash (he said he needed £80 to get home).
We’re doing alright and I don’t think I’d have been okay with saying no, he did send me a text message, after asking for my number, so he could repay when he got back and sent me a message so I have his number. I won’t chase the £40 and will leave it as it is. I will update should things change but has anyone else had this or similar? What did / would you do.....

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[Mike Warland]

Possibly. I have been on the reverse end, though. I once left my handbag behind and had no cards or cash with me. I got to our booked site with only diesel fumes left. The site gave me cash and I transferred money to them by internet banking (My phone was already in the van for the satnav. It’s never in my bag)

If I hadn’t had enough diesel to make it there, that might have been me!

Yes we had the same on services on M4 and gave him money never heard from him again.

 

[Kelso]

When I worked at the services on the motorway a young guy and his girlfriend were asking me the location so that his father could come there and give him some petrol money to get home.
I gave him £20 to get him home and a week later I received a box of chocolates and £20 and a card saying "thank you - that is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me".
Yes, there are scammers but also some people in need.

 

[138go]

When I worked at the services on the motorway a young guy and his girlfriend were asking me the location so that his father could come there and give him some petrol money to get home.
I gave him £20 to get him home and a week later I received a box of chocolates and £20 and a card saying "thank you - that is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me".
Yes, there are scammers but also some people in need.

Your post has gladdened my heart .

 

[chrisgreen]

I was offered a BJ in exchange for some diesel out my wagon while parked up in a layby in kent.
I declined.

 

[Hymer 1961]

Asked for cash - make like The Queen followed by a swift Naff Orf.

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[Dave Flegg]

Genuine solution, offer to take them to the nearest Police Station ( anywhere in Europe applies) and ask to speak to a supervising officer. They will contact the Police in the country or town that they are allegedly from and will ask relatives or friends to lodge a surety with them say £50. They will in turn contact the Police station where the victim is and they will give them the same amount in cash to get them home. Internal transfer done and everyone happy. If at the mention of Police Station the do a runner or make up excuses you have your answer and a clean conscious Not many people aware that you can do this if in genuine dire straights

 

[Dave Flegg]

Also, in the UK especially, you usually fill up before paying. If you then find your cards declined and have no other method of payment (cash etc) then the staff are set up to take details and log the debt to be paid later. Don’t need to help someone out if they haven’t attempted to fill up first. Only applies to declined card scammers at pumps but a good rule of thumb.

 

[Ivory55]

Hgv has to hand the card in first before they will switch the pump on.

 

[ceejayt]

I fell for it in Spain - gave an English guy 50 euros - he was smart, well dressed and well spoken - took my number to arrange to pay me back - of course, he never did.

What made it worse was I told my mates about it and was positive he would be in touch. They then fooled me with a text to meet the guy in a bar and they were all sitting there when I arrived having a laugh at my expense.

 

[Rosemary1]

Your post has gladdened my heart .

I have fallen for a sob story - sometimes it was proven to be a scam and sometimes they were genuine people needing a hand

Unfortunately seemingly I am unable to tell the difference

I think the worse things about these scammers is that it stops people helping others in case they are being made a fool of which is pretty sad as sometimes I have needed help and people have stepped up

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[Riverbankannie]

I too have given some money to a young woman with a story about getting home. I don’t know whether story true or not but like the OP, would have felt bad if I hadn’t helped someone in genuine need.

 

[tonyysue]

On our way to a few nights out in the motorhome we stop off at a service station on the M6 near Staffordshire. We take the dog out for a walk and use the facilities to freshen up a little.
On returning to our van we are approached by a guy who explains he is with his family and needs to get to Holyhead but can’t get any fuel for his car. His credit card is being refused and his wife and daughter are distressed about getting back in time for his ferry.
Reading this and thinking about I would say that we have been had and given in to begging at the services, however we couldn’t walk away and gave the guy £40 believing his story, we also saw others after also giving him some cash (he said he needed £80 to get home).
We’re doing alright and I don’t think I’d have been okay with saying no, he did send me a text message, after asking for my number, so he could repay when he got back and sent me a message so I have his number. I won’t chase the £40 and will leave it as it is. I will update should things change but has anyone else had this or similar? What did / would you do.....

 

[tonyysue]

Don't worry, you are not the first or the last to be had. When i fell for something similar they only had EURO notes to reimburse me - 50 Euro notes that i suspect the paint wasnt dry on........ Any major bank will transmit emergency funds to a cashpoint with a special code - remember this.

When I was stopped on an M1 service station many years ago, a guy claiming he had been thumbing a lift to Dover and thence back to his Regiment in Germany, (but the guy he has thumbed a lift with had made off with his belongings whilst they were stopped for fuel/the loo) approached me. He said he had contacted his Unit, and they gas arranged for a rail warraset to be waiting for him at the railway station in Calais, but he needed money for the Dover ferry to get there (he was going to continue to thumb to Dover). Being ex RAF and having thumbed often! I gave him the £40 he needed and gave him my contact details to return it! He’s still laughing! . I would probably do it again, although I’d ask for oroof he was military and also a phone number to ring his unit to confirm!

 

[Ivory55]

I would have to be in the no camp as the most I normally have is a tenner on me, and that’s for my emergency.

 

[Rapido925M]

I was driving through Brandon, near Thetford, at 4:45pm one Friday when the offside tyre of the caravan shredded.

I quickly whipped the wheel off [wife, 3 kids and dog standing on the pavement] and hurtled to the nearby industrial estate, where the first two tyre companies had closed. The third one kindly fitted a new tyre but it was radial, so I begged him to stay open and replace the other one, being cross-ply and we were going 200 miles to a family party.

Unfortunately the only ATM in Brandon refused my card, so I couldn't get cash, and when I looked in my cheque book we'd used the last one! Fortunately the guy still fitted the tyre and I promised to pay cash when I returned from the weekend's holiday on Sunday. He didn't take my registration and he didn't ring my local garage, who could have given him a description of my handsome visage to confirm my identity.

Needless to say I did post the cash on Sunday, along with a £10 bonus. Sometimes it is important to have faith and trust one another.

Gordon

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[Drexel]

On our way to a few nights out in the motorhome we stop off at a service station on the M6 near Staffordshire. We take the dog out for a walk and use the facilities to freshen up a little.
On returning to our van we are approached by a guy who explains he is with his family and needs to get to Holyhead but can’t get any fuel for his car. His credit card is being refused and his wife and daughter are distressed about getting back in time for his ferry.
Reading this and thinking about I would say that we have been had and given in to begging at the services, however we couldn’t walk away and gave the guy £40 believing his story, we also saw others after also giving him some cash (he said he needed £80 to get home).
We’re doing alright and I don’t think I’d have been okay with saying no, he did send me a text message, after asking for my number, so he could repay when he got back and sent me a message so I have his number. I won’t chase the £40 and will leave it as it is. I will update should things change but has anyone else had this or similar? What did / would you do.....

If you’ve been had it’s 40 pound that you say won’t hurt you but if you ignored his and family’s request for help and he’s genuine then they ll be plenty of times you’ll regret it when life’s giving you a kick , so I’d say well done on you I’d have done the same ,fortunately I look like a tramp most days so no one asks me

 

[BusyBuilder]

Couple years back I was in my garden working on my van brakes.

White van pulls up and sees my work van sign written (Builder/Joiner) and asks me if I needed anything. At first I said no but he was persistent, in the end he showed me a good quality diamond blade, so I bought a blade off him for £30. I didn't check the box but later found it didn't have any diamonds in it.

Few weeks later I was in same van with wife in Morrisons, another (different) white van pulls up, chap asks if I needed anything, my response in un publishable here, the wife looked shocked till I explained my previous purchase.

 

[Coolcats]

On our way to a few nights out in the motorhome we stop off at a service station on the M6 near Staffordshire. We take the dog out for a walk and use the facilities to freshen up a little.
On returning to our van we are approached by a guy who explains he is with his family and needs to get to Holyhead but can’t get any fuel for his car. His credit card is being refused and his wife and daughter are distressed about getting back in time for his ferry.
Reading this and thinking about I would say that we have been had and given in to begging at the services, however we couldn’t walk away and gave the guy £40 believing his story, we also saw others after also giving him some cash (he said he needed £80 to get home).
We’re doing alright and I don’t think I’d have been okay with saying no, he did send me a text message, after asking for my number, so he could repay when he got back and sent me a message so I have his number. I won’t chase the £40 and will leave it as it is. I will update should things change but has anyone else had this or similar? What did / would you do.....

You did an act of kindness, and hope that it will be reciprocated, if it was a scam then so be it but you did what was right by you.

 

[Barclaybasher]

The week before last I was heading South on a motorway in France, stopped to fill up - 1.45€ a litre !
I was approached as I pulled up at the pump, not even out of the van, by a chap asking me something in French - I recognised the words 'en panne' (broken down)
I shrugged my shoulders and he moved over to the next customer. Remembering this thread (thanks) I realised what was going on and watched as he went to everyone that stopped.
He was still at it when I left.
It's a shame because folks in real need might not get help they really need.

 

[Odd-no-more]

Many years ago, actually it was 50years ago, how scary is that? I had been on a trip to a friend in Brussels and got to the port and had only enough money for the petrol to get me home from Dover. Unfortunately when I got to the ferry my return ticket was missing, I had the one for the car but they had torn out the return ticket on the outward journey, deliberately? So I went to the British consulate and after checking my identity they cashed a cheque for the price of the ticket. This is before credit cards or even cheque guarantee cards. I never thought of begging, but I was only 18.

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