What would you have done?

[Lozz360]

Definitely a scam. Same procedure was reported a number of times in the Oxford area about a year ago. Even same speel regarding a ring as a deposit. those that fell for it realised the ring was worthless.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Lol ,usual con crap.

 

[biggs682]

Glad you didnt get involved

 

[r04DiE]

I'm surprised you didn't see through it straight away, it is such an obvious scam.

Well, I like to try and see the best in people. Also, I spent a lot of time evaluating if there was any truth to the story. Seems I made the right decision anyway.

 

[Welsh wheels]

I was just on my way home from getting the motorbike MOT'd, when I saw a guy on the other side of the road trying to flag people down.

He had a car with him, so I guessed he had trouble with it. Everyone was ignoring him so, since I had a day off, I turned around and went back. He was Turkish, said his English was not perfect, but I though it was good enough. He said that he had lost his wallet and needed some cash. He took his ring off and handed me this with his card, as some kind of deposit, but I gave it back and I asked him how much he needed and he said £80, or as much as I could afford. He assured me he would pay me back twice, three times the next day if I gave him my address and phone number. He said he could meet me the next day, somewhere locally.

He showed me a business card, looked like a car salesman as there were a few high end cars on the card he said it was his business. I said that I didn't have any cash but that I would go to the cash till for him and get him £50. He insisted he followed in the car, but I told him there was no point as the town would be busy and it would be much quicker for me on the bike. At this point, I noticed that there was another guy in the car, in the passenger seat. The car had foreign plates and was left hand drive. He mentioned something about only having a little petrol.

As I went to pull away, I noticed the guy was back in the car, ready to follow me, so pointed to which way I would be going and he turned around. I was a bit annoyed that he hadn't stayed where he was, like I told him. Also, I didn't really want him and his mate around at the cash till.

We passed a garage, and they pulled in. I pulled in too and he seemed to think I would be getting the money from there. I told him that they had no cash till and he seemed to be suggesting that I get cash back, but I told him that you have to buy something and that I would rather go to the cash till. I asked him what airport he had flown into and hem mentioned that he had to get to Manchester. He was talking very quickly but I think he was saying that he needed the money to get back there and get his wallet. I asked to see his passport, but he said he had lost everything. Matey in the car opened the door and sounded angry, I asked the guy I was talking to what was the matter and he told me that the guy was saying that they didn't have much time. I started to doubt his story and I wasn't pleased that the guy in the car was losing his rag over me trying to help.

I told him I would go into town and to wait, especially if he was low on petrol. He said I may not return. I told him I would be 15 mins and to give up if I was not back after that. I made my way out of the garage and they were hot on my heels again in the car.

I decided I didn't like it and lost them, which was easy on the bike. I returned home.

Now I am feeling bad about it. What would you have done?

Always be skeptical if a stranger is asking for money. I was stopped by a dodgy-looking bloke on the street who begged for money with a sob story. He said his wife had just had a baby and its umbilical cord was wrapped around its neck and it was dying. He wanted a tenner for a taxi and offered me his card to keep hold of until he could pay me back (who's to say that was even his card and in the time he wasted talking to me and the gentleman behind me, he could have found a cash machine). Plus he could have jogged to the hospital in 20 minutes. I told him I didn't have any money and resisted the urge to inform him that medically, an umbilical cord wrapped around the neck rarely causes death in a baby.

 

[Welsh wheels]

Well, I like to try and see the best in people. Also, I spent a lot of time evaluating if there was any truth to the story. Seems I made the right decision anyway.

Credit to you for wanting to help though even if it was a scam.

 

[Drago]

More to the point @r04die, what sort of motorbike you got?

 

[Pale Rider]

Something similar was tried on me several years ago beside a rural road in North Yorkshire,

Can't recall the exact details, but I think I gave the bloke a fiver.

Easy in hindsight - or on a forum - to say 'obvious scam', but some of these fellas are clever at what they do.

 

[BoldonLad]

Something similar was tried on me several years ago beside a rural road in North Yorkshire,

Can't recall the exact details, but I think I gave the bloke a fiver.

Easy in hindsight - or on a forum - to say 'obvious scam', but some of these fellas are clever at what they do.

Indeed, not always easy to be “right”.

On an occasion when I was working in York, and commuting by train, from Newcastle, I was approached by a presentable and tearful young woman, who claimed to have lost her purse, and thus could not buy herself a ticket to her parents home. She appeared genuine, I resisted giving her money, but, took her to ticket office and bought her a ticket. Promises of sending money etc etc. Still waiting for the money. Maybe, I will get my reward in heaven (that is what Mrs @BoldonLad tells me).

 

[Tim Hall]

10-1 that the ring was worth less than £1.

<drifting off topic> 10-1 means there's a 1 in 10 chance the ring is worth less than £1, which suggests there's a very good chance (the other 9 chances) it's worth more than that.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

I was once depositing money in my local bank in Brodick. In front of me a woman was getting quite upset and from what I could make out the bank weren't giving her money despite her pleas. She left in tears and I carried out my transaction, asking the teller what had happened (small village, I knew her well) and was told they couldn't give her money as she had no ID. As I left the bank, she was sat on the steps crying. I asked her what was wrong and basically she was a Canadian tourist who had lost her handbag with her money, passport etc. She didn't have money for the ferry, far less to get to Glasgow. I returned inside and, much to the disapproval of the bank teller, withdrew £100 for her. She promised to send me it when she got home and despite friends all saying I'd never see the money again, two weeks later a cheque arrived. It's nice to be nice and it was lucky that at that point I was able to be nice too.

If she had started hectoring me like the OP, I doubt I would have helped.

 

[User6179]

<drifting off topic> 10-1 means there's a 1 in 10 chance the ring is worth less than £1, which suggests there's a very good chance (the other 9 chances) it's worth more than that.

10-1 means a 1 in 11 chance

 

[raleighnut]

<drifting off topic> 10-1 means there's a 1 in 10 chance the ring is worth less than £1, which suggests there's a very good chance (the other 9 chances) it's worth more than that.

I could have said a million to one but I'm not into hyperbole.

 

[roadrash]

I could have said a million to one but I'm not into hyperbole.

neither am I , I gave it up a million years ago

 

[Lozz360]

10-1 means a 1 in 11 chance

If there are 10 raffle tickets and you have bought just one, you have a one in 10 chance of winning. So 10-1 means one in 10 chance, no?