The "You Broke My Glasses" Scam, Revisited

Two years ago, we mentioned how Columbia students were being suckered by a scam artist couple into giving up cash. The "broken bottle" scam involved the couple bumping into a stranger and dropping a bottle--and then asking the stranger to pay them for the bottle's contents (vitamins for the "pregnant" wife).

This is apparently based on the "You Broke My Glasses" scam, which follows a similar script, culminating in a pair of broken glasses and insistence that the stranger hand over cash. (The New Yorker's Talk of the Town also investigated the scam that was preying "on the liberal guilt of middle-class college kids.")

Over the years, many readers have chimed in to contribute their run-ins with scammers. One wrote, "I used to work at the Metropolitan Museum, and I would leave work via the 84th street entrance, near the 86th street Central Park Transverse. For three years running, two guys worked that plush, tourist-rich intersection, claiming that their car had conked out, and they needed money to get back to NJ. Occasionally, one would carry a hubcap, or a part of a jack! Props! After a while they recognized me and stopped hitting me up. We'd actually wave to one another occasionally - the local grifters." There are also the "I need some cash because I'm out of gas/my car was towed" lines of attack.

And yesterday, reader rjp offered a new variation on "You Broken My Glasses" -- the "I Need an Insulin Shot":

I wanted to report that I was ALMOST taken by a new twist on the "dropped glasses" street scam today in Union Square. Instead of glasses, it was his insulin shot, and he was a diabetic of course, and his blood sugar was too high, etc. etc. I tried a few times to just walk away but he was very aggressive about following me.

The episode ended at the Walgreens pharamacy where, after about 20 minutes of "trying" various approaches to get him a replacement insulin shot (obviously he just wanted me to hand over cash, which I refused to do- but if the man needed medical attention, I was going to make sure he got it) he realized it was going nowhere and just left.
My favorite part was when he "called" his regular pharmacy, and then reported that they refused to transfer the prescription. "Let me call them," I suggested, to which he screamed, "I'm not gonna give you the phone number of my pharmacy!" As though that were some kind of personal information.

One scary part of this scam was that he kept suggesting I come with him to "his" pharmacy on West 77th street. Probably he played this line knowing that no one in their right mind would follow a stranger that far at night, and would instead just say "go yourself, here's the cash." But what if the person played along? I hope this was just a scam to get $200, not anything worse.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on November 15, 2008 5:39 PM

Comments [rss]

OleS

There's also a dirty fat skell who hangs out in front of the Bedford Ave stop on the L line occasionally. He bothers people and claims he needs money for a fare to get to Bellevue Hospital for treatment. I offered him a swipe and he rejected it, Lol. So I told his fat ass to hike it to Woodhull

Zach

Someone just tried the broken glasses one on me this morning at 9:30 on 42nd and Madison. I'm pretty sure it was the same guy that Kevin is talking about in the previous comment. He kept telling me to "be a real man" etc. etc.

I offered to pay for the glasses but only at a store and with a credit card (told him I had no cash). That just made him angrier, which was pretty terrifying since he was probably about 6'3" 240 pounds and clearly unstable. Luckily I was right in front of my office building so I just ducked in and he didn't follow, but if I'd been alone on the street at night I probably would have thrown him some cash in order to not have gotten the crap kicked out of me...

Kevin

I got the original last night. I was walking on 50th and 8th, around 10pm. There was a large gentleman to my left, but far enough away that I could have held my arm out straight and not touched him. Suddenly I felt something hit my hand, and heard a little sound. I looked back and he was facing me, picking something up (had actually turned around before bending down, and was looking at me). My brain wasn't processing the whole thing yet, but I knew it was wrong, so I just kept walking. He was very, very aggressive about following me. He came up right next to me, and was like "I'm trying to talk to you like a man!". I'm not small, and this guy would've seriously damaged me. So, with no particular tact or wit, I threw my hands up and said something like "What!", turned around and kept walking. He followed for a while, then suddenly was gone. That's when I noticed the cop crossing the street.

2 things. He did in fact drop glasses. Also, my response reminds me of "not a finger!" from Christmas Story in its subtle brilliance.

Will

wow you guys seriously have to tell me where these scammers are. One of these days, I'm going to go out there with my baton and just bash the crap out of these guys for you. Just a happy new years present to all of you people out there.

mrguy

i had the 'i dropped my glasses' scam attempted on me three times, and i think it was the same guy all three times.

first time was, yes, in 2000 when i was a student at Columbia. I was crossing broadway at 113th and he bumped me on the median while i was holding a bunch of bags from a hardware store. i can't believe i fell for it- i grew up here for chrissakes!- but he was big. still, it was broad daylight, i should have known better. i was about to go into the bank when i ran into a former high school teacher of mine. a cool guy. i told him what was up and he was like "ha! i can't believe you were gonna fall for that!" Then this homeless guy named oliver showed up. i had paid him to help me haul some furniture one day, and he knew me. i must have looked shaken and he asked me what was up. i told him, and he goes "oh, i know that guy. i'll take care of this." and that ended that episode.

the next two times it happened were on the 110th street 1 train platform, and again on the street on a very snowy night up by 140th and broadway. those two times i just looked back with disdain and said "Forget it pal" or some variation on that and he didn't pursue it any further.

amandabee

Yeah: the other day I faced off with a woman holding a dollar bill who wanted quarters to make a phone call (we'd both just missed a G-train and there was no telling when the next might come). I spend far too long looking at my lone quarter and thinking "what is the scam here" before I just gave her the damn quarter and watched her walk over and make a phone call.

Also, though, I had a great go-round last winter with someone claiming to be my neighbor. I don't remember now what she wanted, but I happen to know all my neighbors. So I kept asking who her landlord is or who she was staying with. I was just confused at first because she kept saying she lived in one building whose owner happens to live a few doors down and is almost always home. So I was like "Oh, well, lets just go see if Mrs So and So is around and she can let you back in." But of course, of course, of course. I didn't give her any money. I shrugged and went home.

robingee

What medicine comes in a glass bottle? Is this 1920?

Mr Mel

Hey Snoopy, the people squirting the mustard were South Americans. They worked the NJ ferries to Manhattan, the Midtown Streets and the Diamond District. They were successful for a while, then split when the Midtown Precincts caught onto their game. This happened at least 10 years ago and it is probably being done today in some other city.

aspiringrapper

Sad to say this happened to me the first week I moved here to attend college several years ago. Somewhere around Central Park. Ghetto-looking degenerate male bumped into me, followed me around insisting I take him to a liquor store & replace his bottle, which was likely empty to begin with. Of course there was not a single cop in sight.

People in this city are criminal, opportunistic assholes. Ignore everyone.

Snoopy

Any description of the perp?

WorksInDUMBO

We've had this one happen TWICE now: a young woman with a clipboard and a vague "badge" around her neck has come to our door claiming to be from the "light company" (who the hell calls it that?)--on the second occasion, she claimed to be from "IDT".

She said we are due for a HUGE REFUND but we need to give her a recent electric bill. And also, we need to let her in the building so she can knock on people's doors personally. Both times, this woman was PERSISTENT that we let her in the building, and both times we pretty much laughed in her face.

The first time this happened, I called the 76th Precinct and they said she had 2 guys that work with her--when you let her in the building, they come in as well and then try to rob you. Nice!

So beware! This just happened 2 days ago--we're in Carroll Gardens.

Snoopy

Wasn't there a thing with mustard or ketchup squirting a few years back?

Any descriptions of these scam scum?

west side Michael

The psycho's outside of Virgin records on 14th street are my favorites" buy my C-D creeps"

I almost kicked one puke head in his testes,they bother you to buy their music usually only Asian or white kids too scared of these muggers.

l3iodeez

A fool and his money are soon parted.

Keep your wits about you and trust no one.

Welcome to New York.

l3iodeez

Sounds like you are a spineless fool. Those kids aren't scammers, they are selling worthless crap. One is illegal, one is an American pasttime.

I just tell them I work for a record label and if they give it to me free then Ill listen to it. Invariably they leave me alone after that, some even give me the CD!

theDLF

punctuation. please.

piknyc

Watch out for a guy at the Regal Union Square Cinema. While you're at the self serve kiosk buying tickets he'll come up behind and try to sell you fake tickets to the show you are going to that he accidentally bought.

While waiting for my movie, I watched him pull this off 5 times. He made out like a bandit.

fishfryin

a guy once did this to me on 125th street. the only crazy thing about it was it was at night and he basically swerved across the sidewalk to make body contact with me so as that was happening i was scared i was about to get shanked. he dropped a glass bottle in a bag but i just kept walking and said "sorry you had to waste that one." i felt pretty good about myself

Billiamsburg

Yes I too feel for this awhile back. Bumped into (or rather was bumped into, since it's no accident) a black-skinned black man who dropped an inhaler that was in a buncha pieces. Gave him some cash too. Of course as W says 'fool me once shame on me, next time I'm just gonna jab my pocketknife into your trachea and tell the cops I was trying to save your life since your inhaler was broken, you worthless ghetto trash.'