Gothamist: Revisiting Common Street Scams

Martha

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 18:11:44 -0500

The guy with the costumes tried it on me--twice! I almost fell for it the 1st time, but grew suspicious, but then felt bad about not helping him. The 2nd time I said, "Dude--you already tried this on me!" and he stomped away looking disgusted. He was really good.

RachSilverman

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 12:55:50 -0500

I saw them on the N train about a month ago and remember thinking how heartbreaking it was that they had to resort to such a scheme.

N

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 23:46:56 -0500

As noted by others, the dead kid couple have been working the green lines for years. Anyone run into Carline on the trains on the other side of town, who's been on the subways for ages because of her dead husband and hungry kids? There's another woman who works above-ground in the high 40s on the east side, usually near Madison. She's generally reasonably well-dressed and carrying a backpack. Her story changes -- sometimes she's not from here and lost, sometimes she's out of work, other times she's grappling with having been molested by her father -- but she's usually hungry and needs change. Yet I've seen people buy her lunch and have her make all kinds of demands as to what they buy her. "No pickles touching the sandwich!" Running through the comments on the other scam post, I've run into the Cobble Hill "My mom's in the hospital and I work for NBC" guy too. He's pretty believable, but the story makes no sense. The offer of free concert tickets is definitely a fun add, though.

Janet

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 19:02:38 -0500

The Park Slope guy Jessica mentioned was the one who came to my mind, too. I haven't seen him in awhile, but his story had everything: a wrecked car, a sick mother in Methodist Hospital, and racist cops (a great touch to gain the sympathy of the Park Slope yuppies). Of course, he counted on the mark taking out his/her wallet before s/he realized, "His mother's in the hospital, clinging to life, and he's worried about his car?" These folks thrive on neighborhoods full of leftists, who have their big reunion with the beggar in front of Key Food after labor day and clearly feel guilty that the guy on the box doesn't have a summer home.

as ye get older

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 18:32:19 -0500

The fact is, the older we get the more knowledge we gain. Most of us had a loved one die and know how much a funeral cost and even a certified death certificate costs money. Most funeral homes give you 2 free. For $2000 you still can get the full deal, plot, casket and funeral. and, if it's a real sob story, you know someone from EMS will help out. I usually tell these people a sadder story, my life. Same thing I tell the jehovah witnesses, my sad life.

Wise Ske

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 18:09:39 -0500

Yeah those 2 have been at it for at least a year. The price of the funeral has now gone from the reported $325 to I think $2000. They are on the F train often now. Has anyone actually looked at the cert?

kaylin

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 17:45:05 -0500

if you wanna see a pic of the quarter guy he's posted here. http://www.normalbobsmith.com/quarterguy/ he's come up to me many times, usually w/ excuses to get something to eat. but then i see him using the quarters to play pac man at crif dogs. he lives on st marks i think. saw him walking out of a building on st marks b/w 1st & 2nd ave

naive

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 16:41:15 -0500

thanks for sharing your stories. I'm not young and should know better but I'd fall for some of these scams adn probably did because I'm too trusing. I'll be more careful from now on.

ethnotime

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 14:57:21 -0500

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the whiney guy on the 1 train. He gets down on his knees and starts begging for help in the whiniest voice ever. He has the Charles Manson look to him. I've been seeing him for years and the only thing legit about his spiel is his age: He claims to be 37 now.

acm

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 14:37:28 -0500

Um, but there's empirical evidence that there were WMDs in Iraq. Pay attention.

just saying

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 13:49:27 -0500

There used to be a guy I'd see occasionally around Grand Central who claimed he was a student from Yale who needed money for a train ticket back to New Haven. He looked about 40 years old.

Leslie

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 13:48:23 -0500

Is it really a "scam" if someone who is begging tells an untruth? I think of a scam as being more elaborate than a lie. It's just more effective to say "I need some money, because of XYZ," than to say "I need some money, please." Who among us hasn't said the former to our parents, for example, when in fact we just wanted their money? Is that a "scam?"

Samantha T

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 12:14:38 -0500

"He then proceeded to spin a tale about how he was an assistant to Issac Mizrahi, and he had locked all of the clothes needed for a fashion shoot inside his apartment. He claimed to have lost the key, and needed cab fare to go to his grandmother's house and pick up the copy." I had this happen to me at least 10 years ago - no lie.

angryredhead

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 11:26:57 -0500

What about the people who pretend to be deaf and hand out those little sign language cards on the subway for donations? Everyone knows that startling noise made when someone gets up off the retractable seat on the 6 train....well that busted the last "deaf" lady I saw. She completely jumped at the sound. Who IS legit, though...the blind man on the 7 train who plays the violin. Holy crap I gave him a dollar for just being able play that thing while standing and not holding on and not falling down.

nisey79

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 11:03:31 -0500

I've seen a shoeless lady on the E several times who claims that her shoes were stolen while she was sleeping at a shelter. She asks for money for new shoes--it seems like everyone in the car gives her a dollar. Once I saw her go through the routine, get off at 42nd Street, then sit on a bench and pull a pair of old sneakers out of her backpack.

danny

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 08:12:25 -0500

there a black lady holding her kids on the subway saying she needs money to go back to atlanta. then there the pirate scammers selling you bootleg cds, then there people on thje subway doin flips and gynastics to get money. what a day ride on the nyc transit.

meesalikeu

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 01:17:40 -0500

the uho scammers with the water cooler bottles are a complete scam. ditto the kids selling the candy (which you'll note is mysteriously always the exact same candy, m&m's and now&laters). theirs is an even sadder story, they do all the work and then have to give up all the money to these disgusting adults who are forcing them to sell the candy.

max

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 00:45:22 -0500

My favorite is the "There are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq" scam. Yeah.... Hillary Clinton....John Kerry.... those scammers!

adam

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 00:26:09 -0500

Jen or someone, Could you elaborate on the "Do you got a quarter" scam around Union Square? I almost got mugged by a group of 3 surrounding me saying that last year in Union Square area. Is this isolated or is it more common of a mugging trap than I think?

bklynd

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 22:00:02 -0500

Once thing about meeting cons so much in NYC is it actually makes you a con snob. Fairly well-dressed white people have tried to hit me up for money in suburbia or at tourist spots, and I'm like, "you call that begging?"

nick

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 21:23:46 -0500

scamtastic.. he IS still doing it. i was once walking near astor place.. he runs at me from across the street and starts talking to me about how he's gay and a costume designer for sweeney todd and how he had locked all of the costumes inside the wardrobe room. he ended up talking to me for like 5 minutes about theater stuff and it was obvious it was bullshit, but by the end of it i figured "the guy has put this much time and thought into getting some money, ill give him a buck" i remember him having a few very rotted out teeth. hmm.

Scamtastic

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 20:34:03 -0500

I once encountered a scammer who was so good that he actually made Page Six for ripping off some media types. This was back in 1999, on the corner of maybe 21st and Broadway. A well-dressed man approached and said, "Don't worry, I'm not hitting on you, I'm gay." He then proceeded to spin a tale about how he was an assistant to Issac Mizrahi, and he had locked all of the clothes needed for a fashion shoot inside his apartment. He claimed to have lost the key, and needed cab fare to go to his grandmother's house and pick up the copy. He offered to take my business card, and mail me the money the next day. I didn't fall for it, but apparently some other people did. The Page Six item ran about 3-4 years ago, so apparently, he did this for some time. Maybe he's still doing it today. Beware!

carolitajohnson

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 19:26:35 -0500

When I lived in Paris, a very dignified African man (he said he was a scientist from Kenya) walked up to me and a friend one evening saying he needed 100 francs to buy a Camping Gaz cannister so his wife could cook dinner. He told a story of having been pickpocketed, and not wanting money for food because he had food, but his wife was waiting for him to come home with the cannister so she could cook for the family. He even told us what his research specialty was, and we were impressed! Of course we wavered between believing and not believing. We both were thinking the same thing -- this hapless scientist is never going to get the money together to get that gas cannister before the stores close, and he's going to feel like such a loser... We gave him 100 francs (we split it between us). Of course, we passed the bar down the street later, and saw him drinking there. We felt duped, naturally. But we felt more sorry for the duper than for us. Somehow we were glad we'd taken the leap of faith that once, and consoled eachother. But we'd never do it again.

REALITY CHECK

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 19:15:56 -0500

Not many people read all of these "me too" comments.

emily

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 18:59:50 -0500

What about the Chinese speaking scammers? I had a woman come up to me speaking in Chinese about how her wallet was stolen and she needed train fare on metro-north to her sister's house in brewster (we were in grand central). She said she didn't speak English, how hard it is in the country....I felt bad and gave her $5. I told my friend the story and she said a Chinese GUY tried the same thing on her a couple weeks earlier. I told a Japanese friend the story and he had the same thing happen to him at Penn Station.

so there

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 18:20:33 -0500

I miss Horsey Man - totally NOT a scam.

tos6338

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 18:03:24 -0500

Maybe this is old news, and considering its not New York, nonimportant, but hey, anyway. I was the "victim" of a scam in Moscow (luckily i'd been warned about it before). Basically someone walks by you and drops a few rubles, and you, being the good-hearted tourist, pick it up to give it back to them. Say they dropped 10 rubles. They then claim that they had dropped at 50, and a second person comes up and argues on their behalf. You, feeling bullied, give the first guy the remainder of what they feel they are owed (otherwise you're chased around, usually red square, and thus attract unwanted police attention). i haven't heard of it happening here, but since returning i've definetely thought twice about picking up that lucky penny.

warhol's republican

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:57:24 -0500

this is why I love working in civil service with a republican. He tells them all the services provided by the feds, state and city agencies. No health insurance? medicaid. No funeral money? HRA Housing? DHS Hungry? Emergency FoodStamps NO work experience? how bout ACORN or Sharpton's org Need drug rehab? Metropolitan hospital or any other HHC hospitals Disabled? SSA/SSI

Jessica

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:43:27 -0500

When I lived in Park Slope there was a guy who claimed he was far from home and needed his car fixed. He would drive around in the same beat up old piece of crap for the entire 5 years I lived there claiming that he was either stranded, or that the car was at the shop and he needed the money to pay for a new radiator or something.

Mark

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:37:01 -0500

The other day I was walking along in midtown when somebody tried that "you bumped into me and made me drop something, now pay me for it" routine on an i-banker looking type. The banker dude smiled at him and said something like, "sorry, bro, somebody tried that on me an hour ago", and kept walking. The would-be scammer was so shocked that he said something like "OK, well, have a nice day" and then kept walking. Years ago, when I hadn't been living in the city for that long, some guy near Penn Station gave me a sob story about needing money for a train back to Philadelphia and how he was very sick. When he tried to show me that bag that people wear when they're incontinent (I can't think of what it's called at the moment), I gave him a quarter and left. Even if it was a scam, it was gross enough to make me want to end the exchange as fast as possible.

tim

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:26:13 -0500

A few months ago I finally got around to going to the DMV to renew my license and was waiting outside on West 34th Street where the DMV Express office is. Some black man comes up to me and said "Hey, how are you? I haven't seen you in a while." Before I could say that I wasn't who he thought I was he said "You probably don't recognize me because I am on dialis (sp?) now because of my kidneys and my face is bloated. I was one of the security guards in your building until they let me go." Of course this went the route of "so I need a transplant in the next 10 months or I will die and need money." For a second I almost bought into it - In fact it was pretty smart on his part- think about it- He can tell by looking at me that I either live or work in a building with a security guard; that I have enough white-liberal guilt to make myself feel bad when he said "you probably don't recognise me" (i.e. you white people think we all look alike); and before I have time to think has a good excuse as to why I wouldn't recognize him. It was all in presentation. Had I been quicker I could of said "which building" or "which entrance" and totally shut him down. But his timing was great, like he had the answer to your question just before you said it. I didn't give him a thing but for a second I almost understood how these things are so successful.

fshk

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:11:11 -0500

I've seen Ralphie and the funeral couple, plus there's another couple that I saw on the A train a few times over a several month period, and they were collecting money for their sick child's surgery and needed said money "by tomorrow morning or our child will die!" My gut said it was a hoax the first time, confirmed when I saw them again two weeks later.

Brett

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:02:03 -0500

I've seen this couple for years. First was on the 1 and 3 trains and now they've moved to the L. I knew this was a scam from the get go. Honestly, if you had to pay for funeral arrangements what would a person without funds logically do? Start begging from strangers? Probably never. Never, ever, give to pandhandlers on the subways. The situation is out of control. If you want to do something, give to a soup kitchen. By the way, there are an abundance of heroin dealers off the L line. I see half-dead smack heads on it all the time. So consider that.

GilloD

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 16:43:30 -0500

I see the SAME cracked out woman every Sunday and she gives me the SAME spiel about needing to get on the bus. And every week I give her a dollar. She even recognizes me now. I like the ritual more than the religion, so to speak.

edEx

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 16:42:25 -0500

The "homeless" on the street with the tables and giant old water bottles filled with pennies, nickles and dimes: they're not legit... they're scam artists as well posing as a legit org.

J

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 16:42:17 -0500

So there's this guy up near 116th and fredrick douglas who bumps into you and says "you made me drop my hennessy!!" and then gets all angry and up in your face and tells you that "shit cost $30". He tried to pull it on me twice.. the first time i just walked off.. the 2nd time i tried to just walk off and he got inbetween me and the subway stairs and started pushing me.. i had to get really loud and tell him not to try to scam me and NEVER to touch me.. i felt really threatened.. i of course then went and told the policeman downstairs about it, and he said that the dude had JUST tried it on someone else and went to get him.. the guy is lucky he didnt try to get violent with me because i could have easily pushed him backwards down the stairs.. i fucking hate the bums in this city

kristina

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 16:40:53 -0500

That couple has haunted me since I saw them only once about three years ago, particularly because at one point she started crying hysterically and he started yelling about how awful it was to not even be able to provide a dignified burial for their little girl. At the time, I was broke but kept out of homelessness by my generous mother and had just lost my dad a year before. If I ever see them again, there will be a public shin kicking.

Dude

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 16:39:42 -0500

Back in the 90's, I remember the "Street News" guy on the F who always said the same lines everytime for many years. I could recite them word for word (not anymore). Could he be Ralphie? He didn't mentioned HIV though. Also the kids who sold $1 candies and said they were for their basketball team uniforms. Then later they change their stories and said they sold candies just to keep out of trouble. Could they be considered scams? Where do they get their candies?

Dude

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 16:38:48 -0500

The Empire

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 16:32:37 -0500

I work in Herald Square (tourist epicenter) and the scams are nuts. Here's a few favorites: -The women in head veils who are of ambiguous ethnicity. They fan out over a 3 block radius all kneeling on the sidewalk holding a laminated sign that says they have 3 kids to feed. The signs are all identical. -The "crying" bums in the 34th St train station. -The guy on the 1 train who crawls through the train car without uttering a word. -The old ladies who hang out by the public library, they all have on similar outfits and they're all "crying" -The woman who rides the 2/3 who has been pregnant (not showing, mind you) for a year and is looking for something to eat. If you walk up to me and tell me you want to get drunk/high, I'm more likely to give you the money. Just be honest!

ABC Girl

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 16:30:30 -0500

I never give money. Donate to a reputable charity instead, whose bookkeeping has to account at some point for every penny they receive--unlike beggars on the street who unfortunately use the money for more drugs, alcohol, etc. And I never stop to listen to anyone's b.s. story. We all have a sad story. We all need money. That's why I GOT A FREAKIN' education and bust my ass at WORK. I keep earphones on even when I'm not listening to music (keeps people from approaching you)and if anyone dares to come over even to ask for the time, they get no response. I don't even make eye contact. Trust me when I say that's the best way to do it in NY. Otherwise I'd get mugged everyday by scammers asking me to spare a quarter or ask me what time it is while their accomplice picks my pocket...

otherobject

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:57:25 -0500

Miquel - The people selling the Big Issue are legit (and one of the few on the subway that is a legit organization). Basically, the magazines cost 50 cents each and are sold for a dollar giving the profit to the homeless person selling them. The Big Issue is a magazine written & they are sold by the homeless in every English speaking country I've been too. The types of homeless people selling it does vary from area to area but my favorite being the heroin junkie punk with a 3-foot green mohawk by St. Stephen's Green in Dublin. It's not a solution but does make it a little better for those unfortunate people.

Brian

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:54:50 -0500

Oh, that pisses me off. That was the one and only time I ever gave someone money (6 train about a year ago) because my life was going well and their story was so damn sad. I can't wait to see them again.

Brian

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:51:43 -0500

I think Ralphie goes all the way back to the early 90's. I could be wrong but there was someone similar to that when I first moved into the city. There was a homeless woman who was "pregnant" everytime I saw her on the subway. She had the fake belly and all. There's a guy on the Upper West Side who has been there for years who will be screaming and crying about how hungry it is. It really is quite a performance and people are usually lining up to give him money. What kills me though is if he is so hungry, why wouldn't he take the first dollar someone gave him and go to H&H and buy a bagel? Instead, he just keeps screaming and yelling for more money. And people keep giving...

tobyjoe

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:46:56 -0500

You guys aren't seeing the true scenario. This couple has LOTS of babies and live above a candle store, leading to at least 6 baby-killing fires per year. RESPECT THEIR DEAD, BURNED BABIES!

mihow

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:38:07 -0500

Interesting: Funny. Freezer indeed.

edEx

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:36:40 -0500

i carry $100 bills in monopoly money (i thnk they're pink) for these scammers. it's as liegit as their stories.

Jen

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:35:35 -0500

That couple always makes me cringe. And I've seen Ralphie a lot, but not selling anything, just begging. He has this intense way of approaching almost everyone, saying "Sir? Can you help me? Miss?" I don't know what he's doing with that money, but I've seen him a few times when he was really out of it.

anthony robbin's big hands

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:33:14 -0500

Not commitment, they just think nobody would call them out on their scam. then pull every card in their play book. Someone should put up a "holla back" type site for these scammers. Maybe someone already did.

otherobject

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:33:02 -0500

Miquel-the people selling the Big Issue are legit. The Big Issue is a magazine written by and sold by homeless people. It costs about 50cents and is sold for a dollar-giving the homeless person the rest. It's also not a New York phenomenon, it's sold in every English speaking country I've been to though the type that sells it tends to vary quite widely. I think my favorite was the junkie punk with a 3 foot tall green mohawk selling it by St. Stephens Green in Dublin.

mihow

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:32:40 -0500

Kalulani: See, I have wanted to call them out but that guy always looks so freaking angry. Instead I stand in silence and shake my head. Bastards. Miquel: If they are legit, their daughter's dead body would be horrid by now. Or, the have a lot of daughters dying in fires and therefore the police should investigate.

Miquel

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:26:47 -0500

Seen them a few times....felt bad the first time... Perhaps legit, but: How bout Ralphie on the L? Very skinny Latino man with long dark hair and beard who delivers this message... (Spoken really fast) Ladies and gentlemen good evening my name is Ralphie. I am homeless and HIV positive. I sell this newspaper to put money in my pocket. It's not much but it's an honest living and keeps a roof over my head and helps me get a bite to eat... Saw him almost every week for 4 years. Last year, I saw him AND is TWIN BROTHER walking uptown w/ wives(?) and kids. Boggled my mind.

Miquel

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:11:51 -0500

Kaiulani

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:08:42 -0500

The 'daughter died in fire' couple were on the train a few weeks ago and someone yelled out "Fakers" - they really played along, the 'dad' got furious and started a fight with the guy and the 'mom' started yelling about 'disrespecting her baby.' You've gotta admire the commitment!

Interesting

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:06:12 -0500

If the daughter was a baby, I think I saw this couple about three years ago on the W. And then about 6 months later on the W again. I asked them loudly if they had been keeping their daughter in their freezer, because I saw them collecting money for the same funeral a long time ago. They changed cars.

b

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:05:55 -0500

^lol, those scammers about the 'iraq' are hilarious, always wondered why they picked Union Square to do it at...abundance of college kids perhaps?

jtg

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:05:48 -0500

I remember seeing these guys on the A train a few months ago. Although I didn't give them any money I totally fell for their story too. They are really good at what they do... I guess...

shaketard

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:05:05 -0500

crap, g beet me 2 it. The republicans and the current admin are the most recent one's I've come across.

g

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 14:58:33 -0500

My favorite is the "There are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq" scam.

anon

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 14:56:47 -0500

Those two were on the F train the other day.