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Do you think this was a scam or not?

sam3110sam3110
in Not Sports Related
Walking home from Lidl Charlton, with my heavy bags, headphones in, it's a 10 min schlep up the hill to my flat. Outside the Starbucks, a man and his wife, middle age, English, approach me, and ask if I live near. I stop and say yeah, why, what's up? (Weird for me, I never talk to people when out and about if I can help it) 

They claim they're in a pickle, locked out of their house on Wellington Gardens, and their daughter and Mother In Law have the spare keys and they're over in Purley Way, and the MIL has been drinking today so can't drive over. So they wanted to know if I could withdraw £30 for them to pay for a cab to get the daughter and the spare keys from Purley Way to Charlton. They don't have anything on them as the door shut behind them, just their mobile phones (they were fully clothed in coats and stuff) so can't get the money themselves.

I don't carry bank cards so I said I can't help, but they were very insistent and so I said look I live close by, my wife is in let me see what she says if we can help out. They offer to help carry my bags home. We trundle along and get to my place, go upstairs and I go inside and tell the wife what's going on. She tells me I'm insane for letting them get this close to the house and told me to tell them to, and I quote, "fuck off and try and scam some other fucker". So I go back outside and say really sorry but I can't help out, but I hope they find a solution soon, and off they go, looking visibly upset.

So my question is, were they genuine and should I have tried to help more, or did I manage to worm my way out of a scam and got lucky in the end?
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Comments

  • SDAddickSDAddick
    Probably scam. I was on the fence until the whole walking you home thing. That's weird. 

    But hey, you got some help carrying groceries home out of it so you won. 
  • ricky_ottoricky_otto
    edited January 2022
    Moral of the story is you saved yourself £30 and avoided being scammed. 

    The bad news is they know where you live.
  • Karim_myBagheriKarim_myBagheri
    yeah the walking home with you bit would make me suspicious but tbf your place seemed rather nice when we did get there. Hope you enjoy your spag bol later. 
  • charltonbobcharltonbob
    edited January 2022
    Scam I'm with your wife  :D
  • valleynick66valleynick66
    scam has to be. 

    Daughter could have ordered them a cab  and paid if they had their mobiles ?
  • O-Randy-HuntO-Randy-Hunt
    Was just about to say if you offered to take him to Croydon I'm sure he would refuse the lift. Then again, who wouldn't.
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  • sam3110sam3110
    So the things that stood out as being weird to me was if they had a phone on them why didn't they book an Uber or something, or bank transfer the money to someone for a cab?

    Why did they walk from Wellington Gardens down to the Starbucks to seek help and not knock on neighbours doors? 

    Why if they weren't leaving the house originally and managed to get locked out, why were they in proper trainers, woolly hats and coats?


  • Valleyfan2Valleyfan2
    Scam, no doubt. Just an upgrade on the old one of losing wallet/purse and needing £5 to get home. Seen the same bloke night after night in Thomas Street trying that one on whoever would stop to listen. 
  • BaldybonceBaldybonce
    edited January 2022
    Scam. 
    Exact same thing tried on me about 6 months ago at 5am while i was waiting for a bus outside the BP garage in Charlton. They had Get to Croydon though.
  • ricky_ottoricky_otto
    edited January 2022
    The sooner @ElfsborgAddick pisses off to Brazil, the better.
  • sam3110sam3110
    Charlton_Charlie said:
    This bloke is well known around here..his name is Patrick. It's a definite scam. He does leave a phone, but it's a worthless, stolen one..  He tried it on with me at 1am one morning as I got home from a night out..  I played along for a while and then offered to drive him to Purley Way to collect his mother in law so that she could let them in (was the version of the story I was given)...  Funnily enough he refused. You'll find stories about him on Facebook and that NextDoor app...
    Hmmmm interesting, does the stories mention anything about a wife? If it's them same guy then I'm thankful I didn't lead him to my actual front door
  • North Lower NeilNorth Lower Neil
    Yeah, of course it was.

    £30 though!  Normally "I'm £2 short for the bus" or whatever.
  • ricky_ottoricky_otto
    North Lower Neil said:
    Wasn't @shine166 was it?  He's got previous when it comes to cab money.
    If it was raining at the time, then quite possibly.
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  • MrOneLungMrOneLung
    so the door shut on them, and they thought - shall we ask Dottie and Dave next door, or Mary over the road to lend us some money, or shall we go up Starbucks and flag down a stranger ?
  • MuttleyCAFCMuttleyCAFC
    Scam! The fact that Charlton Charlie has confirmed the same stunt was tried on him means it was a scam. :)
  • boggzyboggzy
    MrOneLung said:
    so the door shut on them, and they thought - shall we ask Dottie and Dave next door, or Mary over the road to lend us some money, or shall we go up Starbucks and flag down a stranger ?
    Dottie was busy showing Acworth the Krays at the time.
  • LincsaddickLincsaddick
    scam 100%
  • ChizzChizz
    Your wife is *definitely* a keeper, @sam3110
  • WheresmeticketWheresmeticket
    Valleyfan2 said:
    Scam, no doubt. Just an upgrade on the old one of losing wallet/purse and needing £5 to get home. Seen the same bloke night after night in Thomas Street trying that one on whoever would stop to listen. 
    Look I'm 62. I've got a bad memory alright? 
  • WheresmeticketWheresmeticket
    guinnessaddick said:
    ricky_otto said:
    The sooner @ElfsborgAddick pisses off to Brazil, the better.
    Last seen entering Simon Jordan.

  • cafcledburycafcledbury
    Just picked up 2 hitchhikers on route to Purley Way
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