Confidence Trickster Gardiner Street

mattaiuseire

Wonder if anyone else has encountered this young chap on Gardiner Street.

Around a month or so ago I was walking home after work up Gardiner Street and a young lad, I'd say around 25ish, quite skinny, scruffy trainers and trackie bottoms, curly light brown/ginger hair, comes up behind me whimpering "Excuse me... excuse me".

So I turn around and this guy has got tears streaming down his eyes, snot coming out of his nose, seemingly distraught.
He says his sister is about to die and he needs to get up to some hospital (can't remember which) and he needs some money to get up there. He tells me his name (which I've forgotten) and whips out his passport and insists he is genuine.

Unfortunately for him I had nothing on me at the time and couldn't give him anything, and when I explained I couldn't help him right now and that I sympathised and thought he was genuine, his attitude became extremely aggressive and began shouting obscenities about him "of course being f*****g genuine" and "he wouldn't effing make this up" etc etc.

So being the calm individual I am nowadays I told him to stop speaking to me in such a manner, and anyway eventually I walked away feeling a little wounded that I couldn't help him. I was almost going to bring him to my house to calm him down and give him a tenner but after his verbal assault I decided against.

Anyway fast forward to today and I'm working a late shift today so my 'lunch' hour ended at 5pm and I'm walking back down Gardiner Street after having a bite to eat at home. I notice a woman in a hurry trying to get into her brand new Mercedes with some young lad bent over tapping on the passenger side window, crying and trying to open the passenger side door, which the lady had managed to lock by getting inside and seated before he could.

Thinking not much of it except that it reminded me of that guy who stopped me recently, I carries on walking down Gardiner Street when I hear a whimpering "Excuse me... excuse me..." coming up behind me and I thought you have got to be kidding me...

So I turns around and there's the same guy, same tears rolling down his cheeks, same nasal mucus, and he begins with, "I really need some help...", and then when he realises we've met before, he says, "Oh do you remember me from another time?" - still in his whimpering traumatised voice.
When I said you're damn right I remember you alright, he started saying his sister had died and before he could go on I interrupted him and instead of threatening to call the Gards I just told him I couldn't help him once again, and once again he became very aggressive.

I've just phoned Pearse Street and reported him and they're sending a car up now. Hope they catch the ****e and I wish I'd have memorised his name from last time!!

Word of warning to Dubliners!

fiachr_a

These people are the reason we should keep those 1 cent coins.

Arbiter of Good Taste

Funnily the exact same thing happened to me about 10 years ago in Sydney. Unfortunately on the first occasion I stupidly handed over $20. So naturally I gave her dogs abuse, then grabbed a nearby policeman.

You'll encounter a blond woman with her arm in a sling in the ladies toilets in Drogheda Hospital on occasion, whose husband is in Beaumont Hospital. She's just broken her arm, and needs money for the bus fare to go see him. He's been in Beaumont years now, and she breaks her arm alarmingly often.

Canadel

Deleted User wrote: »

You'll encounter a blond woman with her arm in a sling in the ladies toilets in Drogheda Hospital on occasion, whose husband is in Beaumont Hospital. She's just broken her arm, and needs money for the bus fare to go see him. He's been in Beaumont years now, and she breaks her arm alarmingly often.

She's chancing her arm alright.

Strumms

a skinny scrote in a tracksuit in Gardiner St of all places tries to engage you in conversation and a sob story..... just keep on walking... a firm no I'm busy and broke and go away.

Most convincing one was an English dude in El Prat airport in Barcelona who approached me while I was looking at the FIDS screen before security and engaged me in a sob story that he ****ed up and went to the wrong airport and should have been in Girona. He had no money for the bus transfer back and with Ryanair they wont transfer him FOC if he misses flight etc.. very polite and convincing... i copped on after a couple of minutes quizzing him back... that was two years ago... he came up to me again 3 weeks ago in the same airport.... I was less then polite this time. No time for scammers.

Canadel

Strumms wrote: »

Most convincing one was an English dude in El Prat airport in Barcelona who approached me while I was looking at the FIDS screen before security and engaged me in a sob story that he ****ed up and went to the wrong airport and should have been in Girona. He had no money for the bus transfer back and with Ryanair they wont transfer him FOC if he misses flight etc.. very polite and convincing... i copped on after a couple of minutes quizzing him back... that was two years ago... he came up to me again 3 weeks ago in the same airport.... I was less then polite this time. No time for scammers.

Sounds like a right prat.

Simon2015

mattaiuseire wrote: »

Wonder if anyone else has encountered this young chap on Gardiner Street.

Around a month or so ago I was walking home after work up Gardiner Street and a young lad, I'd say around 25ish, quite skinny, scruffy trainers and trackie bottoms, curly light brown/ginger hair, comes up behind me whimpering "Excuse me... excuse me".

So I turn around and this guy has got tears streaming down his eyes, snot coming out of his nose, seemingly distraught.
He says his sister is about to die and he needs to get up to some hospital (can't remember which) and he needs some money to get up there. He tells me his name (which I've forgotten) and whips out his passport and insists he is genuine.

Unfortunately for him I had nothing on me at the time and couldn't give him anything, and when I explained I couldn't help him right now and that I sympathised and thought he was genuine, his attitude became extremely aggressive and began shouting obscenities about him "of course being f*****g genuine" and "he wouldn't effing make this up" etc etc.

So being the calm individual I am nowadays I told him to stop speaking to me in such a manner, and anyway eventually I walked away feeling a little wounded that I couldn't help him. I was almost going to bring him to my house to calm him down and give him a tenner but after his verbal assault I decided against.

Anyway fast forward to today and I'm working a late shift today so my 'lunch' hour ended at 5pm and I'm walking back down Gardiner Street after having a bite to eat at home. I notice a woman in a hurry trying to get into her brand new Mercedes with some young lad bent over tapping on the passenger side window, crying and trying to open the passenger side door, which the lady had managed to lock by getting inside and seated before he could.

Thinking not much of it except that it reminded me of that guy who stopped me recently, I carries on walking down Gardiner Street when I hear a whimpering "Excuse me... excuse me..." coming up behind me and I thought you have got to be kidding me...

So I turns around and there's the same guy, same tears rolling down his cheeks, same nasal mucus, and he begins with, "I really need some help...", and then when he realises we've met before, he says, "Oh do you remember me from another time?" - still in his whimpering traumatised voice.
When I said you're damn right I remember you alright, he started saying his sister had died and before he could go on I interrupted him and instead of threatening to call the Gards I just told him I couldn't help him once again, and once again he became very aggressive.

I've just phoned Pearse Street and reported him and they're sending a car up now. Hope they catch the ****e and I wish I'd have memorised his name from last time!!

Word of warning to Dubliners!

Was the guy a non national ?

TrueDub

Simon2015 wrote: »

Was the guy a non national ?

Why does it matter? A scammer is a scammer.

Jawgap

Deleted User wrote: »

You'll encounter a blond woman with her arm in a sling in the ladies toilets in Drogheda Hospital on occasion, whose husband is in Beaumont Hospital. She's just broken her arm, and needs money for the bus fare to go see him. He's been in Beaumont years now, and she breaks her arm alarmingly often.

Actually if he's in A&E that might be true :D:D:D

Strumms wrote: »

.......

Most convincing one was an English dude in El Prat airport in Barcelona who approached me while I was looking at the FIDS screen before security and engaged me in a sob story that he ****ed up and went to the wrong airport and should have been in Girona. He had no money for the bus transfer back and with Ryanair they wont transfer him FOC if he misses flight etc.. very polite and convincing... i copped on after a couple of minutes quizzing him back... that was two years ago... he came up to me again 3 weeks ago in the same airport.... I was less then polite this time. No time for scammers.

Was there last year and it was a Scottish guy - again very polite, delighted to have found a fellow 'Celt,' lots of patter. I let him witter on and then told him to get lost!

Muahahaha

Reminds me of the time me and my partner were in Mumbai in India getting a flight out of there one week after the train bombings had killed 240 people. The taxi driver was giving us a sob story all the way to the airport about his 10 year old son who was dying from the bomb blast and needed a life saving operation that cost $100 and asking us for the cash. Told the guy if his son was truly dying he'd be at his bedside and not out driving a taxi. Some people will stoop as low as you can go to con a buck.

LynnGrace

There used to be a guy at Heuston, needing twenty euro 'to get a bus home'.
Maybe he finally got there...

mikekerry

similar story happpened to me yesterday just off middle abbey st,
A well dressed and well spoken guy in his mid 20's came up to me upset and said he was robbed and the cops offered to put him up for a night in a homeless hostel but he didn't want to stay there so they said he could stayin the generator hostel in smithfield but he needed 17 euro!
When I said the generator hostel has a minimum 2 night policy and I wasn't going to hand over 17 euro to someone I didn't know he got agressive similar to the prevoius poster. a strange individual.
He also showed me a phone which was switched off.

Birneybau

Simon2015 wrote: »

Was the guy a non national ?

If you had read the description...

AnonoBoy

TrueDub wrote: »

Why does it matter? A scammer is a scammer.

I presume they were asking because he'll be easier to identify if people know what sort of accent to look out for?

mikekerry

the guy I was talking to had more a soutch county dublin accent, around 25,
dark hair

mattaiuseire

Yeah the guy was an Irish national, his passport was real and he obviously knew what he was doing.

Normally I wouldn't care less but after seeing him trying to get into someones car I thought that was stepping over the line.

When I turned around a minute after he had given up on me, he had already hooked some other poor b@stard in, couldn't hang around to see if any money was given because I had to get back to work.

What worries me is if some poor old dear is manipulated by him and she ends up giving him money she can't afford. Hope the bobbies catch up with him.

LynnGrace

LynnGrace wrote: »

There used to be a guy at Heuston, needing twenty euro 'to get a bus home'.
Maybe he finally got there...

To get the train to Carlow IIRC! I used to work near there and everyday he'd spin the same story

Strumms

Jawgap wrote: »

Actually if he's in A&E that might be true :D:D:D



Was there last year and it was a Scottish guy - again very polite, delighted to have found a fellow 'Celt,' lots of patter. I let him witter on and then told him to get lost!

Could be same dude although I am pretty sure it was an English accent then again they could be working in pairs. Small guy with a beard and a backpack. Like you say, very friendly and engaging and didn't ask for money right up front at the start of conversation. In fairness you could see why one or two people could be taken in he was that good and you don't expect that in an airport really. Not surprising he is still there or they are all these years later.

Mesrine65

fiachr_a wrote: »

These people are the reason we should keep those 1 cent coins.

Agreed...for putting in a sock & using as a bludgeoning tool on such immoral shysters :mad:

L1011

Jawgap wrote: »

Was there last year and it was a Scottish guy - again very polite, delighted to have found a fellow 'Celt,' lots of patter. I let him witter on and then told him to get lost!

English guy on the Damrak in Amsterdam approaches people wearing English/Scottish/Irish football jerseys with a sob story about needing to get to the British Embassy in Berlin (why? There's one in Amsterdam) with a "ah, someone who speaks my language!" opening line.

In Amsterdam, where pretty much the entire native populace speak perfect English with a mid-Atlantic accent...

Everlong1

These toe rags need to be at best ignored utterly and if possible reported to the Guards.

I have a well practiced routine of marching straight ahead now in the city centre and not making eye contact with anyone. Terrible to have to live like that but that's the times we live in.

Any mutt who tries to talk to me just gets ignored. Anyone who tried being aggressive with me would get an appropriate response, escalated to physical action if necessary.

Like all bullies, they will target anyone who appears to be vulnerable or a soft touch.

RainyDay

I was buying a bus ticket in Brussels to get to the airport, when a tall guy with a posh English accent came up trying to sell a 'spare' ticket he had mistakenly bought. I hooshed him away.

When I got to the airport, the same guy was greeting folks getting off the bus with 'Would you mind if I take your used ticket there'.

Muahahaha

Everlong1 wrote: »

These toe rags need to be at best ignored utterly and if possible reported to the Guards.

I have a well practiced routine of marching straight ahead now in the city centre and not making eye contact with anyone. Terrible to have to live like that but that's the times we live in.

Any mutt who tries to talk to me just gets ignored. Anyone who tried being aggressive with me would get an appropriate response, escalated to physical action if necessary.

Like all bullies, they will target anyone who appears to be vulnerable or a soft touch.

I'm the same, I'll stop for no-one in the city centre. I smoke sometimes when walking and the amount of scrotes some days who try to scab a cigarette from you can be unreal. I always have white earphones in my ears so just pretend I didn't hear them and keep walking. It's the best way imo.

Simon2015

I remember a few years ago there was an Irish guy in Dublin City centre who use to stop people and say that his girlfriend had just had a bady and that he needed money to get to the hospital.

I gave him 2 Euro but he wasn't happy and asked me for more money. I told him thats all I had on me and walked off.

These days when someone comes up to me asking for money I just say "no sorry" and keep walking.

mattaiuseire

It's easy to ignore people in the bustling city centre but when you're a little out of the way and someone is literally following you, intent on invading your personal space and won't stop until you acknowledge them, then it's a little more difficult.

MilesMorales1

Thats the oldest scam in the book OP. I've been seeing that in Dublin for years, remember in 2010 a chap came up to me just like you said, asked me for cash cos his pregnant sister was in the back of an undisclosed van and he needed to get her to newcastle hospital. Best to just keep walking.

Arrow in the Knee

I was in Navan one evening and a lad in his 30's or 40's stopped me saying he needed some money for the bus to Dublin as his brother was in a car crash and needed to get to the hospital while smelling of alcohol.

All I said was sorry can't help.

Roselm

LynnGrace wrote: »

There used to be a guy at Heuston, needing twenty euro 'to get a bus home'.
Maybe he finally got there...

I met a very similar kid on Talbot Street near Connolly Station.Very convincing unfortunately and I gave him a few quid.Kicking myself when he came up to me again a week later

LynnGrace

Roselm wrote: »

I met a very similar kid on Talbot Street near Connolly Station.Very convincing unfortunately and I gave him a few quid.Kicking myself when he came up to me again a week later

The guy I encountered at Heuston, was very plausible, probably in his thirties, or thereabouts. I think it was a bus to Limerick, he claimed to need the twenty euro for. I just said No. He went on to approach others, but nobody entertained his request. I don't travel to Heuston now, but he could well be still there, trying it on.

miamee

I used to often see a woman with an empty buggy on Wicklow Street looking for money for bread for her babies. She's a bit too old to pass herself off as having babies these days and I haven't seen her in a while.

Another one was a young wan who, like in the OP, would be crying and snotting on Grafton St asking people to please help her. 5 days a week, like. I never stop for people like that now, which is a shame because some day someone genuine might need help and I'll be flying past saying "No, sorry love".