woman asking for money door to door

[Penguin68]

There is a very long, similar thread from last year - actually very slightly over a year ago - but I wonder if she's a seasonal visitor - perhaps moving round the suburbs over the year to ply her scam, and, like the seasons, she has now returned. Perhaps this thread could be re-posted to the nature watch one.

[Sue]

hpsaucey Wrote:

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

> > Do you mean the ladies outside Somerfield - are

> they the ones that get into a car at the end of

> the day??? Guess no law against having a car but I

> don't think I could afford to run one at the

> minute.

>

xxxxxxx

People who sell the Big Issue are supposed to be homeless.

If they can afford to buy and run a car, then surely they can't be homeless, can they?

All-Seeing, are you absolutely sure this is their car? How do you know?

[DonGee]

I must be heartless, we had this woman knock our door a few years ago in Camberwell, I sent her packing knowing from the start it was a scam, if she had money on her mobile to be speaking to her husband, she would have money to call a relative / friend to come and help her out.

9 times out of 10 these callers to the front door needing money whatever the story are part of a scam, so better to be safe than sorry, they all get sent packing - that is if I open the door in the first place.

[panmum]

I emailed the offices of the big issue regarding the gentleman seller outside the Sainsburys at CPFC as I was amazed to see two of the usual ladies that ply the big issue outside our Somerfield at Norwood Junction (along with the gaggle of kids that usually spend a fair bit of time trying to remove the clothing from the recycling bin in the car park)talking to him and then him giving them some money going in to the store and purchasing...... a box of lager and 3 packs of fags!!!!!! They too then left, chatted to him for another 30 seconds, and after fond farewells got in to a car that was holding up all the traffic. The guy driving it was one I often see talking to the old man, and on occasions I have seen money change hands, and not in the correct sequence if you know what I mean. Never got a reply from anyone at the big issue, this old boy is outside Sainsburys every day of the week, and has been for years, there is no way he is homeless, as the whole gang of them are well known on the thornton heath area, there are genuine homeless out there, Mr Bird needs to get back to basics and sort it out!!

[DonGee]

panmum Wrote:

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

> I emailed the offices of the big issue regarding

> the gentleman seller outside the Sainsburys at

> CPFC as I was amazed to see two of the usual

> ladies that ply the big issue outside our

> Somerfield at Norwood Junction (along with the

> gaggle of kids that usually spend a fair bit of

> time trying to remove the clothing from the

> recycling bin in the car park)talking to him and

> then him giving them some money going in to the

> store and purchasing...... a box of lager and 3

> packs of fags!!!!!! They too then left, chatted to

> him for another 30 seconds, and after fond

> farewells got in to a car that was holding up all

> the traffic. The guy driving it was one I often

> see talking to the old man, and on occasions I

> have seen money change hands, and not in the

> correct sequence if you know what I mean. Never

> got a reply from anyone at the big issue, this old

> boy is outside Sainsburys every day of the week,

> and has been for years, there is no way he is

> homeless, as the whole gang of them are well known

> on the thornton heath area, there are genuine

> homeless out there, Mr Bird needs to get back to

> basics and sort it out!!

The same ones also operate in Peckham, slight change in tac-tics though, the women send the children into macdonalds and Burger king to cry and beg for money from parents sitting in there with thier children, seeing a child in distress softens them up and they dish out. The children then take the money to the mothers who are also begging or trying to sell gold to people on the street, these one - Homeless my ar*e!

[steveo]

She had me once, if you'll excuse the expression. Someone should get a picture of her before shutting the door on her foot/head.

[TheAllSeeingEye]

Sue Wrote:

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

> hpsaucey Wrote:

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

> -----

> > > Do you mean the ladies outside Somerfield -

> are

> > they the ones that get into a car at the end of

> > the day??? Guess no law against having a car but

> I

> > don't think I could afford to run one at the

> > minute.

> >

>

> xxxxxxx

>

> People who sell the Big Issue are supposed to be

> homeless.

>

> If they can afford to buy and run a car, then

> surely they can't be homeless, can they?

>

> All-Seeing, are you absolutely sure this is their

> car? How do you know?

Because I watched them climb into it, then get out again fiddle around in the boot, then climb in it and drive off, ... twice in a week.

[soniala]

Cam123

when we first moved in to the area, 4 years ago we also got caught on a sunday night , i felt so awful as she was crying and giving a story that we gave her the money , ?10.00 and no never saw her again .

we are in Adys road .

This has been on EDF before and it seenms she is well known to the police who are used to this story.

[DonGee]

steveo Wrote:

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

> She had me once, if you'll excuse the expression.

> Someone should get a picture of her before

> shutting the door on her foot/head.

lol.. love it, kinda hoping she'll come way now you've suggested that...

[taper]

She was in Camberwell a couple of weeks ago. Just moved in to no 16, no heat, small child, ?10 for the key. I told her to bog off, having been scammed by a similar person in Hackney a decade ago. An impressive performance.

[pommie]

you should say if she can afford a mobile she can afford to have money for electricity and to get her priorities right. If it was a serious emergency then surely her husband would rush home and get electricity for her and the kids.

[patsyD]

sounds like a good scam. No doubt she could earn a good few pounds with such a ploy.

[joel_mole]

She came round and knocked on my door the other night (Copleston Rd). I told her I couldn't help but it was a great performance, and I did feel really guilty afterwards. Fool.

On the other hand recently I had a guy come round collecting for charity with the most amazing collection of press clippings about himself and his charity work. I'm usually pretty sceptical but the guy seemed totally genuine (if slightly eccentric) and had letters from the Queen and all sorts. I gave him ?20 and felt a bit of a fool after closing the door. However a quick Google revealed he is a well known charity collector. Can't remember his name but he has been in the local press loads.

Joel

[Msgee]

she did me a few years ago, over in Nunhead

it was just before Christmas, freezing cold and we were skint. She was very smartly dressed, obviously distressed and gave a number from about 7 doors down (pretty smart this- how many of us know "neighbours" that far away? yet because it sounds close...) and did the key meter story, asking for three quid

I opened my purse like a silly sausage and gave her our last twenty cos I was flustered and didn't have anything else

(would say our kids had crisps for their Christmas dinner, in case she's reading this- but the next day we got an unexpected cheque for a grand :) -chalked it up to karma!)

[Sue]

Strange how things work out, eh

[Mike]

Sounds like the same woman who dashed across the road when me and a mate were leaving the pub to ask for some money to get some milk for her baby. Milk.... yeah sure...

[trinity37]

She (or someone like her) worked this scam on our road last year. On the advice of a visiting friend I said I'd be glad to help, but would walk up to her house with her as we hadn't met before and she could be anybody. As we got close she confessed the scam. She's so convincing though I still felt sorry for her! I posted warnings to all neighbours, one of which sent her off a few months later saying that they'd had a note and knew all about her. It helps to be warned, these people can really pull your heart/purse strings.

[Coach Beth]

She was probably the same woman who came round my door last Saturday night - late around 10:30am. As I was on my own with my small child, I didn't let her in. She said she was a neighbour from across the rooad and was having a problem with her flat. I said what number and she said number 41. I said I wasn't prepared to open the door to someone this late at night and she just went - no goodbye or thanks so I figured something was up - although I was abit un-nerved. And it wasn't till the next day and was walking down the road that I realised that there is no 41 on our road! I live near Coplestone as well.

[Emily]

sorry I missed these threads - would have saved me ?6. She arrived on my doorstep last week, and even though I was 90% sure I was being scammed she got money out of me. I still think I'm the better person though! She is personable and clearly well practised at her spiel. Black, thirties, slimmish, medium height, tidy looking. And a thief. Sadly, I'll never give money again.

[dulwich_duke]

CONNED

[chica1]

Sorry but one must be that gullible if they are easily conned by someone like that woman.

Surely soon as you open the door faced by this begging hustler esp if she does not look the part, you should at that instance already smell a rat!

Why not say you don't have money either and close the door on her face, just like that!

[The Minkey]

"Why not say you don't have money either and close the door on her face, just like that!"

Because some people's first instinct is to empathise which causes them to give people the benefit of the doubt, unfortunately in the case of this scamster.

[Mscrawthew]

With respect Chica, This woman does look the part and is very good at what she does. She knocked on my door in Grove lane about 3 years ago with the same story but failed when she said she had moved into a flat down the road and I knew the occupants. She is very, very good at what she does and unless you have had the experience of this very good conlady, it`s really unfair to judge peole and say they are gullible and easily conned.

[Cam123]

Chica, you know, i'd have not had much sympathy either before it happened, but the reason you don't think "begging hustler" as you say, when she first comes to the door is because she says "Hello, sorry to disturb you - i'm Lisa from number 29, i'm really sorry that we haven't met before; i've been meaning to pop round and say hi every time i walk past ...."

...and that is exactly what a neighbour does. Nice ordinary sociable behaviour.

So the reason she's good is that the alarm bells only start ringing in your head once you've already placed the event in the meeting-a-new-neighbour category, and it's not pleasant to accept pretty quickly that you have to pull it out of that happy place and plonk it into the horrible someone-trying-to-con-me category.

I wouldn't like to think i was someone who's initial assumption when a genuine neighbour comes round to say hi is "begging hustler".

[Sue]

Well said Cam, but HOW COULD SHE??

Really taking advantage of people's good nature, isn't she.

Manipulative and horrible.