fraudulent people asking for help with fare

You have a very kind heart greygoo..if i were the one who was asked for fare i wouldn't give any amount even one peso. They will just continue on asking for money everyday doing the same thing over and over again if people will give money. They know that people will somehow give even one peso and one peso per person will become big. Let's just all help our government to fulfill the Mendicancy law and stop letting these people continue with their modos.. I know there are really some who are real poop people but we can never tell these days..

Hi, I met many of these kind of people in railway stations,bus stations.Some are fraudulent and some might be genuine.It can happen to any one if some pick potter pick up our purse. The best way to handle this is simply tell them I will not give you money but I can you buy the ticket and give it to you,If they are genuine,they will say yes If not they will be caught. I had said the same with a man accompanied by a 7 years old boy asked me for money for the ticket.He was so happy to get the ticket for him and his son. When I found they are genuine gave them some snacks to eat in the bus. This definitely works.

This reminds me of 3 similar incidents when 2 women asked me for money, the first not necessarily for fare. She was an acquaintance who unfortunately also knew my brother, and whom according to her, had given/loaned (don't know if she paid it back) her some money too. I wasn't about to give in to her from the start, mainly due to my own need (had very limited funds from my student loan), and felt even more put off by the info she shared about my brother having already given her something. On top of that, she was working, and was well put together. I'm glad I no longer live in the same city. The other one resembles your story - I'd been asked twice by the same individual for fare, at different locations. I think she had mental issues, but I couldn't bring myself to give her anything since she didn't ask everyone else around, which made me think she looks for people who may seem kind enough to "con". I don't mind giving to those undoubtedly in need, even when I don't have much myself, and have done so on several occasions. What you did was admirable. Despite suspecting she's lied, you managed to keep your cool and from being disrespectful to an older person. On the other hand, I don't think there's a better way to handle it without directly confronting the matter. You could've asked her nicely why she seems to be constantly lacking in fare, letting her know you'd recognized her from some other place. Then politely decline, if you think she didn't really need the money at all.

Hi greygoo, You have a great heart for the needy and it wouldn't be discounted even if the one you helped was just having such a modus operandi to procure money. I met more than twice here in Makati saying the same stuffs as you've mentioned and I haven't given anything to them, why? Well, the first time they asked me, that was near in my office building, I have no money on my pocket, totally zero balance on my pocket and wallet, I was heading to the ATM, and the second time around about three days later same woman asked me, I didn't give her anything, even if I have the money in my pocket, because it's a stupid idea, being stuck in the same place twice? With the same issue? She still don't know how much it would cost to go to Makati and back to Fairview? hahaha Well, lucky me, I haven't spared a penny to any of their petty modus. I actually have the heart to help the needy, if and only if they're legit for my aid. I don't want to waste money and time helping the wrong person. There are a lot of people here in our country that really do need our help in one way or another. And the woman I said I've met here? Well, up to now, she's still around in one of the streets here. And I could still hear her murmuring the same stuffs to a lot of people living and working in here. A very obvious modus! But still, I don't have the nerve to tell her directly, "I know you're lying!" hehehe :D

Hi Greygoo Yes, I agree with you that this type of people exist and now it looks like a profession for them. When I was in university I have seen this type of people and even they come to our university. Some time they come with their family and say that we are going to this destination but we are short of this much money, but I think giving them money is also propagating them, for first two times it is OK but you should not try to give them money next time because this is just their profession and giving them money mean flourishing them...:) Be happy and be the reason of happiness in others life...

Those kind of people have more money than us. Think about it if she asks about 70 people for money and 50 of them give her a dollar at least, that makes 50 dollars a day's pay. That's only a dollar, if other people give them more I figure she gets between 300 to 400 dollars a week just asking money for bus and or something else. Next time you see them tell them you remember them and you want your money back and they will remember you and never approach you again. They do not remember you because if she did she would not ask you again.

Well... This thing has been happaned with me also several times. Once or twice I have paid also what ever they asked but after that I came to know the reality, but we can't deny from some real people also who needs money and can get mistaken. So I have found a way to dealt with it ...by asking them to ask what ever they have and buy them ticket for their destination. Many times I have been denied by them as they offered me to pay less only because ticket price is too much... and then I start scholding. But once I met with real need also and when I offered to buy ticket that person started giving me thanks ...and I got from his eyes that he is in real need ... Thanks ...

That is a modus operandi of syndicates nowadays. There are many being deceived by these people. I once experienced being requested to give a fare, but I declined to give them because I can smell something fishy to it. Worse, people who are asking for fare are those who really looks helpless and sometimes that is their way to convince you for giving them. I still do not buy such fraudulent schemes. It is really hard to trust anyone now.

I've encountered people like this several times and different places as well, but I just ignore them because I know they're just lying.

I have came across these kinds of people before when I was still going through college. I was always skeptical about people asking for money and pretending to be really pitiful. Of course, they should look helpless so that people would sympathize yet, why should they lie about going to places but, not having the money to do so? What you did can be a good thing or a bad thing. Perhaps that person really needed money and you helped. It can also be bad 'cause tolerating it would convince them that doing that routine works and they would continue doing that until it doesn't work anymore. I had this situation wherein I was about to go home when this old lady with plastic bags asked if I could spare her some change so that she can get back home. Unfortunately at that time, I only had enough travel fare for myself. I just said sorry. A few weeks went by and I was about to meet up with some of my classmates. They were waiting along the sidewalk when I saw them and oddly enough, the same old lady was doing the same thing she tried on me. When I got to them, I asked the old lady, "You still didn't get home?" She was wearing different clothes but, carried the same plastic bag. My classmates were surprised at what I said and asked me when we were on our way. I told them that she wasn't really telling the truth for asking money. If she was lying on why she needed money, what more for her actual intentions with it?

It's one of the oldest scams that I know. It happened to me several times already. I walk from my gym to a nearby mall. There was a man who stopped me twice for fare using the same spiel. He was a big man and could easily work but chose begging instead. The second time he stopped me, I told him that he already stopped me a few weeks ago with the same dialogue. He was taken aback that I remembered and just let me go. Then there was this old lady who would stop anyone in the Ortigas area near the old Medical City holding out a prescription for her granddaughter (who was walking with her and looked fine to me). I usually don't give money to beggars. Most of the time I give them food, but that's about it. I know its a complicated issue but imo, giving them money will just encourage them to beg instead of working. If I were in your situation, I would have told her that the money I gave her the other time should have allowed her to go home. But that's me, not a softie at all. But from your narration, I think you would rather err on the side of caution.

Hello, I have also posted a topic like this cause I previously experience people asking money for transportation fare. Most are female with kids that don't actually look like beggars, sadly I gave small amount of money the first time I encounter them but suddenly there are many people doing this so I conclude that it is a scam, fraud, just to get money.

I was actually a victim of this M.O. when I was in first year of University. I took pity on the old lady when she said she lost her wallet and she needed money to go back to her house. My friend and I gave her the money she needed (it was only loose change though), gave her food and went home happily. Then the following day, we saw her on the same overpass! We felt really stupid, but we can't do anything about it except warn our friends about the M.O. She didn't bother asking us for money again since I think we left quite an impression on her the first time she took money from us. This gave me a valuable lesson; if you really want to give something to a beggar, give them food instead of money. This way they will not go hungry and they won't use the money for anything else. Sometimes they ask money for syndicates, or for their vices. You shouldn't have given her money the second time. Just tell her that you don't have money to give her.

It is possible that she really didn't have the money BOTH times you saw her. If she is really poor, that may not change from day to day. Why, could be any number of reasons.We can't know for sure if the reasons are due to any fault of her own or by a tragic circumstance which she had no control over. You asked "how should I have dealt with her". That is entirely up to you (how you choose to respond when people ask you for help).I think you did the right thing by helping someone.She may not have had a modus operandi after all...she could be in dire straits and until that changes, she'll legitimately need money for fare, food, everything, every day. Even if she was just a scammer, it doesn't change the fact that you did a good deed.

Its obvious that its a modus operandi. It happened to me. A guy ask me twenty pesos because he said he lost his wallet so i gave him money. A week after i saw the same guy and I dont know if he just forget about me or he thought Im stupid enough to forget that he was the same person who ask me a week ago I ignored him and again after a month the same person asking the same amount saying the same script and has the guts to ask me the third time I snapped at him. Its bad enough that they are begging for money but lying to get sympathy is worse.

yes i also encountered those kind of people especially in the evening,and i will never give any help for them instead i will accompany them to the police station or Barangay hall to ask for help and not my help.if they are really need help then they will come but they aren't come so they are fraudulent people seeking for money only.