Article From a Supporter:
I would like to warn Jamaicans about an old scam that was presented to me twice today.
It involves a parked car, parked 10 yards from a stop light or intersection, a man who is decently dressed, and a woman.
The woman is usually in the driver’s seat and her window is wound down so passersby can see her. The man is on the passenger side looking into the car.
When the man sees a car passing in the same direction in which his parked car is facing, heading towards the stoplight or intersection, the man looks up and flags the passing car down.
He then approaches the car which has to slow down and stop for the stop light or intersection.
He then asks the driver to wind the passenger window down. If the driver does, he bashfully explains that his car is out of petrol. The story is that his partner and he came from some remote fishing village to deliver raw fish to a client, but the client did not pay them as agreed so they had to leave the fish and now they ran out of petrol and they can’t get back to the remote fishing village.
I have been flagged at least thrice and I have never contributed because I know it is a con.
Today at 2pm my husband was driving me past the same scenario in Upper St Andrew - a car with woman in driver’s seat with window down, smartly dressed guy outside and looking into the front passenger window, stop light up ahead.
We overtook their vehicle and I rolled my eyes as he flagged us down, and we approached the red light.
He walked up to my (passenger) window and I shook my head to let him know, “No”. I was shocked that my husband wound MY window down to speak to the decent man.
He was very apologetic about stopping us, but he explained that he and his wife came to #45 (while pointing up the road behind us) and there was nobody home, and they were so embarrassed to say that the car is out of gas. Could we possibly give them a small donation towards the gas OR (wait for it), just take this small bottle to the nearby gas station to get some gas for them.
I was rolling my eyes physically, figuratively, mentally, emotionally and in every way. I nearly fainted when my very smart husband took his wallet out and drew out $1,500 to give the man!!!!!!! I felt so exposed because the man had to stretch his hand near my face to reach for the money my husband was handing him.
We left there and we collected our daughter at school, I went to a doctor’s appointment while my family waited and then we dropped my husband to the NMIA airport. I took over the driving.
Driving from the airport at 4pm, I stopped in the Harbour View Shopping Centre with my daughter. Upon leaving the plaza’s eastern exit near the roundabout I was flagged by a man on the side of the road, who had just raised his head up from the passenger window of a car with a woman in the driver’s seat.
I ACTUALLY pulled over and cracked the passenger window to hear what he had to say.
He simply apologised that his car was out of gas and he and his wife wanted to go home. He wondered if I could just help them out with a little money to buy gas, or if I could just go to the nearby gas station to buy the gas and give them in this bottle.
IT WAS THE SAME MAN - AND SAME WOMAN - AND SAME CAR - AND SAME CON.
I can only say that the things I told him made him walk “backways” to the car to tell the lady that he has been caught.
People, don’t stop on these roads, and if you do, don’t wind your window down. Dont fall for this scam.
If I run out of gas, I am hoping I will have credit on my phone to call somebody I know to help me. I would lock myself in my car to make that call.
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Wow this is crazy 👹
ReplyDeleteI have met a middle aged man walking in the opposite direction from a gas station with gas bottle in hand and asking for monet to buy gas because his car ran out and he can't possibly walk to Heavendale from Old Hope Rd. I told him how sorry I was but I couldn't help. I picked up the con right away.
ReplyDeleteGive if you can
ReplyDeleteOmg V there is a Jamaican man right here in Ft Lauderdale who got me with the same, very well dressed well spoken,,very apologetic and explained he ran out of gas and realized he did not have his bank card on him I gave him $20 it just happened that months after I ran into him again with the same story someone should share his picture , could it be the same person?
ReplyDeleteThis is so sad. Unfortunately, people in need may end up stuck out there because of these scammers. We need more security cameras on the roads in Jamaica. It is even sadder when females have started partaking in these scams.
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