Gothamist: The "You Broke My Glasses" Scam, Revisited

mrguy

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:26:07 -0500

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

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:57:51 -0500

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

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:22:20 -0500

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

Mr Mel

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:23:32 -0500

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.

stackmaster

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 04:53:39 -0500

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

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:04:10 -0500

Any description of the perp?

WorksInDUMBO

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:59:28 -0500

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

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:30:22 -0500

Wasn't there a thing with mustard or ketchup squirting a few years back? Any descriptions of these scam scum?

west side Michael

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 14:07:45 -0500

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.

Armchair_warrior

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:50:40 -0500

once i was short of 50 cent to get a subway fair. for got my money at home. lol i ask strangers, can i please get 50 cent. i'll pay you back(for real). they thought it was a con. someone just gave me a buck to shut up me up lol.

piknyc

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:35:40 -0500

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

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:10:01 -0500

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

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 10:50:42 -0500

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.'

NannyState

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 07:38:55 -0500

^ Yep, that's the one.

myself

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 04:24:21 -0500

woman at penn station asking for money to buy her path or whatever ticket. about 5'4", white, mid or early 40s, black straight hair, shoulder length or a bit longer. flat shoes, dark blue jeans and strong mascara every time i've seen her.

HUGO_MEGO

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:23:46 -0500

I don't know why but I enjoy hearing about Columbia students being scammed.

calcetines

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:28:06 -0500

A short middle aged white guy was pullin the 'out of gas' routine near the mobil gas station on 2nd street... He said he needed money for a cab to go to his workplace in LIC so that he could buy gas. He said the guys at the gas station wouldnt sell him any small amounts, or something. He wanted me to give him money, and he'd give me his cell phone and wallet, then I'd wait till he comes back, and we'd return each other's stuff. Later, he only offered his keys... "I'm from Long Island! No ones helping me! My wife and kids are in the car!" I figured it was a scam when his wife and kids weren't in the car..which he couldn't open.

nice job

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:59:07 -0500

I was taken with this scam a few months ago! I was walking down ludlow street with my girlfriend when this black guy bumped into me and dropped a plastic bag with a bottle in it. i stopped because i heard the crash and he told me that inside were two bottles of vodka he'd just bought for himself. he then showed me the broken glass and spilled liquid (probably water) inside. i was too flustered and we ended up giving him 10 bucks. it wasn't until i turned the corner that it dawned on me that we had just gotten scammed.

Jen Chung

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:45:59 -0500

@djwerdna--I think I may have encountered the same Asian guy--or another one who has a similar story--at Grand Central. He says he's a professor who is from South Korea and staying in NJ but in NYC for the day and was just robbed. He needed money to get back to NJ. He just wanted $5. I just had a $20 and offered it to him, but he didn't want that much. Then I said I'd take him to the information booth and/or cops so they could help him to get home, but then he became sort of disgusted (frustrated?) with me and I finally was suspicious. Then a few months later, he asked me for money again in Times Square.

babyhitler

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:49:28 -0500

#13 - I've ugraded it to "why can't you be more like Obama AND Tiger woods". It's pretty powerful. It bores right through their souls like ghost rider's penance stare.

NannyState

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:21:07 -0500

I just keep giving PATH fare money to the same chick...long after she quit swallowing. Should I notify the police?

djwerdna

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:20:22 -0500

There used to be this Asian guy in midtown who would say that he came to the city for a conference, but had his luggage and wallet stolen and needed money to get back upstate. He'd walk over to the ATM with you to get the money. He would ask for your phone number or give you his and promise to be in touch...

Atomische

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:14:32 -0500

I used to get asked to donate subway fare by this guy who said a hooker stole his wallet. Same guy every weekend with the same story.

thefacts

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:05:17 -0500

For two years in the 90s, two white skells pulled the "out of gas" routine at Houston and Varick near the Holland Tunnel. I told them that's what they get for leaving NJ.

JacqueMehoff

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:52:53 -0500

I want BH to give them his "why can't you be more like Obama" look.

Mr Mel

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:42:48 -0500

There's a guy that I've run into for years. Light skin black guy, wearing a Yankees jacket. His approach is a friendly "remember me". The average guilty white guy who thinks most blacks look alike anyway, tries to remember. Then he says "you used to work with my mother" and you search your memory for any middle aged black woman you might have worked with, her name is Dolores or Dorothy. Then you think you sort of remember the woman and he's gotcha. His car broke down, his cat is sick or he lost his wallet and he's glad he ran into you. At worst, he'll ask for $20. After I tell him several times that I don't know his mother, he finally figures out that I'm on to his scam and he leaves. He can be unpleasant. The best way to avoid him is not to answer him and keep walking.

JacqueMehoff

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:35:28 -0500

when was the last time RX medicine was in a glass bottle? that's it, I'm giving all the people I love a whistle this Christmas, the running shoes they'll have to buy on their own.

AvenueHebrew

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:31:30 -0500

I got the "You broke my glasses" con a year ago. I knew it was a scam as it was happening, and I'm still pissed off for letting it happen. But the dude was a lot bigger than me, acting kind of crazy and there were no cops around to help dispute it. So I gave him $20 just to shut him up. He gave me a hug in return.

SikBug

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:30:57 -0500

Let someone try that one on me, I'll take out my insulin pen and ask them how much they want me to dial up for them lol.

rcltrh

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:30:08 -0500

Scream really loud when the bottle crashes "What the hell are you trying to do with that stuff? Blow up the entire block!? That stuff is too dangerous to carry around on the streets! You're gonna get us all killed!" By this time everyone is looking at the scumbag who should be ducking his head and scuffling off.

Robespierre

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:09:26 -0500

It sounds like rjp was exploited by the same man who targeted me about 18 months ago on 57th Street outside Bergdorf Goodman. He bumped into me, dropped a bottle in a brown paper sack, which smashed, and then kicked the bag into a construction site (so I couldn't see what was inside). He said I had broken medicine he needed for his kid, and I had to go with him to his hospital to explain what happened, because otherwise they wouldn't give him a replacement bottle. Again, "his hospital" was uptown and he wanted to take me there. He talked very fast and the encounter was fairly terrifying. I finally escaped by hopping in a cab and telling the driver, "Drive!" That's the only time I've ever had to do something that movie-dramatic in 20 years of NY life.

babyhitler

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:06:26 -0500

I once bumped into a black hoodlum with a salad and paid him 2 bucks for it. Then I realized ten steps later that it must have been a grift. What black hoodlum eats salad?

UnrepentantFenian

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:01:44 -0500

Welcome to New York.