|
A popular scam is one sometimes called the “Smiling Charlie”. They look for persons in the act of leaving a store, never someone who just drove up and is going to be there awhile.
A conservatively dressed, good haircut and clean shaven if male, person approaches you with a story of bad luck. A typical opening line might be:
“I’m not a bum but I’m really in a bad situation. I’m on my way to my new job. Last night my wife/kid had to go to the hospital and it took all my money because I’m between jobs and don’t have insurance. I need just enough for gas to get to (city name).”
Or, car trouble, anything which would cost several hundred dollars. There’s always a wife or family in the car. All they ask for is a few dollars. If they can get ten bucks every ten minutes that’s sixty an hour, not bad wages.
These persons are never aggressive, act very humble and polite. If refused they offer no argument. If you give them money they go get into their car and drive away—and as soon as you leave they’re right back.
I always tell them no but offer to call the sheriff and get him to take them to a local charity which will help them on their way. (Many churches actually have a program to do this Lutherans especially.) Their typical response is to ask the name of the church and they say they’ll go there, and here’s no need for the sheriff.
No matter what you suggest, other than handing them some money, you’ll find they have a logical answer to avoid any law enforcement help. They’ve got all the answers ready because they’ve been through all this a thousand times—it’s their job and they’re good at it.
The good news is that these persons are not a threat to you. Just tell them to get gone and they’ll move on with almost always a “God bless you, sir. Have a nice day.” Of course you know what the real meaning of that phrase “have a nice day” has now, in instances like this, evolved into.
|