I'm army and have just been dropped off in the 'worng place'... scam?

wire-screw · 10 Jan 2015 at 15:02

I just went out for a wonder around the London streets and a Scottish guy asked me how far it was to Golders Green. I'm too polite to ignore someone and I stopped and apologised - I didn't know. I think I must have been hooked in because he then started giving me this story where he had just come back from Afghanistan because he's in the special forces! He told me that in the army you sometimes get 'dropped off' in the wrong place and he needed to get back to Scotland. He started saying this and that he had a safe back home with £73,000 inside it. He then said I should trust him with his story. He hadn't asked anything but I said I don't have any money and then he instantly cleared off.

I think I remember either getting this when I first came to London or hearing about it. I thought it was quite an elaborate story. Has anyone else had this?

cm1179 · 10 Jan 2015 at 15:09

of course it's a scam

Randomface74 · 10 Jan 2015 at 15:10

10/10 for effort lol

wire-screw · 10 Jan 2015 at 15:10

Sure, I'm interested in what people think of it.

StriderX · 10 Jan 2015 at 15:11

Glaswegian? So many scammers come from Glasgow its just...ugh.

batsy · 10 Jan 2015 at 15:24

Witnessed a similar scam in Barcelona. A couple with luggage running down the street in a 'panic' saying their taxi to the airport had broken down and asking for money. They didn't mention any money in a safe though

ADT · 10 Jan 2015 at 15:39

The things people do for money, I've heard of this before

shadow_boxer · 10 Jan 2015 at 15:41

Nice story and good effort.

EGuitarStar · 10 Jan 2015 at 15:44

Yep been in the same situation as others here.

I've stopped giving money now and will offer to buy someone food or water if they prefer.

Tefal · 10 Jan 2015 at 15:45

GSWAudio said:
I just went out for a wonder around the London streets and a Scottish guy asked me how far it was to Golders Green. I'm too polite to ignore someone and I stopped and apologised - I didn't know. I think I must have been hooked in because he then started giving me this story where he had just come back from Afghanistan because he's in the special forces! He told me that in the army you sometimes get 'dropped off' in the wrong place and he needed to get back to Scotland. He started saying this and that he had a safe back home with £73,000 inside it. He then said I should trust him with his story. He hadn't asked anything but I said I don't have any money and then he instantly cleared off.

I think I remember either getting this when I first came to London or hearing about it. I thought it was quite an elaborate story. Has anyone else had this?

there's a bloke on the buses inManchester who is a poor Canadian traveler who just needs some money to get to thee airport after his hostel room being robbed, must be having terrible luck he was at it nearly day for a month when i was there

god knows how much he must have spent on those plane tickets each day as he was always just about to catch his plane.

Rich_L · 10 Jan 2015 at 15:49

I had someone ask me this when getting some breakfast in Clapham after a night out who needed 10 quid to get back to Enfield or something. I told him it was only 15 miles so if he set off walking now he'd be back home by tea time

Adam · 10 Jan 2015 at 15:53

Twice in the city of London a guy has come up to me with a huge gash on his arm in a panic asking for money to get a taxi as he has just come off his bike. You are in shock and naturally want to help him but it's a clear scam. Anyone in that position would have an ambulance called.

I can only guess it's very realistic make up.

dowie · 10 Jan 2015 at 15:54

batsy said:
Witnessed a similar scam in Barcelona. A couple with luggage running down the street in a 'panic' saying their taxi to the airport had broken down and asking for money. They didn't mention any money in a safe though

begs the question of how does a taxi breaking down affect the money you have available to pay for a taxi

dowie · 10 Jan 2015 at 15:55

typical London one is some smelly git getting on a train, deliberately blackened hands etc.. giving some sales pitch about needing money to get into a homeless shelter for the night... then does the same pitch in the next carriage at the next stop and so on... seems to earn at least a couple of quid per carriage - better daily rate than a lot of IT contractors assuming he even did a full day of active scrounging

mattyg · 10 Jan 2015 at 16:03

Special forces gets dropped in city and can't make his way home.

I think he's from the "Special" forces

jsmoke · 10 Jan 2015 at 16:18

Sounds a bit of a bizarre story how did he come across?. I have had a lot of people in my time asking for money to get home, they just spin this yarn to me, then you may see them later on talking to some other person. I have to say I must have given a few quid over the years to people, whether they are actually needing the money for transport or not most are probably in pretty desperate need for money.

Ayahuasca · 10 Jan 2015 at 16:25

Stolen valour

The videos of soldiers catching those in the US doing it at shopping malls for discounts are a good laugh.

wire-screw · 10 Jan 2015 at 16:26

jsmoke said:
Sounds a bit of a bizarre story how did he come across?. I have had a lot of people in my time asking for money to get home, they just spin this yarn to me, then you may see them later on talking to some other person. I have to say I must have given a few quid over the years to people, whether they are actually needing the money for transport or not most are probably in pretty desperate need for money.

I bit rough but didn't look homeless, didn't look like the army type either. Not that I really know what that is. He was wearing a poppy pin which was the only convincing thing so he must be a pro scammer.

dacads · 10 Jan 2015 at 16:27

clearly not pro enough

arknor · 10 Jan 2015 at 16:35

someone else once posted an identical thread to this