evest Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 I'm sure many of you may have already heard about this sort of thing, but I hadn't and I was targeted by a roadside scam yesterday, so I'm guessing there will be somebody on here who may not have read about them. So pulling onto the A1 at Letchworth, there's car on the hard shoulder of the slip road with a guy waving frantically - so I pull over to help. He says he's run out of fuel and is asking for money, promising to pay it back, etc - he's starts thrusting his 'gold' rings into my hand as a deposit (hallmarked 18K... ) and a very ropey looking business card. Since his car was still running, I told him there was a petrol station literally less than 2 miles away and offered to show him the way. So we drove there, and our conversation continued. By this stage, he and his dad are asking me for £100+ to get them to Manchester, where they then need to fill up a 'truck' with diesel to take another car to a client... blah blah blah, more gold coming my way. They are promising to come back next day and pay me £500, etc... So.... they're on a business trip from London to Manchester to sell a car that is on the back of a flatbed. They've made it as far as Letchworth and run out of petrol. Their flatbed is also out of fuel. They have no money and their bank cards don't work and they have no breakdown cover. Then they're gonna drive all the way back up here tomorrow to give me a fortune (thought the gold rings were worth £000's?? Just leave me with those then??) Good luck with the business guys... Anyway, whilst I'm good natured and like to help people, I'm not stupid and suspected this was a scam. I didn't give them any money and suggested that they go into the petrol station and explain that they are genuinely 'stranded' - I'm pretty sure you can come to some arrangement in these circumstances. They chose to drive off. Wish I had phoned the police sooner so they could catch them in the act - hindsight! I called the police and reported everything so hopefully they will be able to trace these guys. Apparently this kind of thing happens all the time and unfortunately people can get tricked into giving out money - especially when the tricksters claim their family has just died and they're desperate to get home. Worse thing is - I'm probably less likely to pull over to help people now. It's a general warning, but if you live in Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire - here are the details of the ones I encountered: LX55 KGZ Silver Ford Focus 2 Asian guys, mid 30's and mid 50's - wearing suits, they weren't threatening. Can seem very genuine at face value. Bogus business card and gold rings offered in return for various amounts of money. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPod Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 That's crazy thought these kind of scams where a thing of the past. That's why I never pull over (well if I am myself) don't know what types of weirdos are out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy78 Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 You're a better man than me, I wouldn't even have stopped... Unless someone was having a heart attack or something. Run out of petrol... all the best mate, see ya... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toon Chris Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 I think about pulling over when i see stranded cars, especially on the A1 as its not nice being on the hard shoulder. But then I think the women will think I'm a weirdo/rapist which is a sad sign of the times and by then I'm past and it's too late. I know a bit about cars, have tyre inflater and a breaker bar to easily change a wheel and my car can tow a truck but i suppose the police get to them eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veilside z Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Fair play to you. Sounds ify to me though too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veeg33 Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Unless its life threatening emergency, I will never stop. Its not safe anymore..........Nearly got scammed whilst waiting at traffic lights in Manchester last year. Without asking, this guy (east asia looking) start squirting washing liquid on our windscreen and cleaning it with windscreen wiper attached to a stick. I felt pity for them hence decided to give them £1 for it but the b@st@rd decided to scam me. I opened my window a little bit just enough to hand over £1, after taking the pound could, he decided to pretend that he did not catch the coin properly, knock my car door with other hand and said he dropped the coin back into my car and hoping that I will dig another pound somewhere and pay him (rather than trying to pick up the dropped coin. It was clear to me the coin did not drop and the noise was from body panel, not sound of a pound coin dropped in my car onto carpet. Nice try......Since then, I never will help them out!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flex Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 It's this sort of thing I worry my wife will fall victim too, she's always wanting to help people in trouble. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 There was an article on the BBC website recently about this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veeg33 Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 ^^ http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/scam-artists-targeting-motorists-m56-10161569 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Yep, sqw what was probably the same guys by the side of the A11 near mine the other day, just looked too dodgy so I gave them a nice wave as I drove past Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdunbar Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Please don't stop stopping people. A handful of scammers should not stop good people helping people in need. Just keep your wits about you when you do stop. You can usually tell good people from scum in no time. I have no mechanical knowledge but would always stop to see if I could call someone for them or give them a lift to the nearest services. That costs nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenWomble Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 I was riding the rush hour wave southbound on the M1 last week, so the road was nice and clear but I knew what was brewing up behind me. Just past a service station I see a backpacker walking down the hard shoulder, I think holy crap he's gonna get himself killed when they turn that into a live lane in a few minutes time! So I pull over, he's a young lad from europe and had no idea the hard shoulder turns into a live lane during rush hour. As luck would have it not only am I going his way on the M1 but he's also heading do the docks in Dover. I know there are some wrong uns out there, but you can meet them in any part of your daily life. So when the timing is right I do pull over to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evest Posted October 6, 2015 Author Share Posted October 6, 2015 I think the big petrol stations let you fill out a non-payment form so you can pay later. Of course its all on CCTV. Don't think indie garages generally allow it. I expect that the jokers I met already had a full tank! Probably will still stop for people and just rely on experience to guide me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Payco Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 I got scammed once too and apparently it also is still going on. I pulled up to a set of traffic lights on red. Whilst waiting for the change a brunette woman and a blonde jumped in my car, had s*x with me and then robbed me of my wallet. So far I have been robbed Saturday, Sunday, Monday and now again today. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bounty Bar Kid Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Asian people... Tisk tisk risk. Lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Asian people... Tisk tisk risk. Lol. I'm actually surprised they weren't Irish gypsies, ...is that wrong?!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oggieteepo Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I guess the whole roadside robbery has dulled down in recent years.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sargara Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 (edited) As others have said, its sad times when a small minority of scammers make people reluctant to stop and help genuine people in distress! At least its a rare event, can't say I've ever witnessed it. Edited October 9, 2015 by Sargara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bounty Bar Kid Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 As others have said, its sad times when a small minority of scammers make people reluctant to stop and help genuine people in distress! At least its a rare event, can't say I've ever witnessed it. Errr... Excuse me. We're not a minority anymore. We're a majority! Ever been to Birmingham or South London. Lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian@TORQEN Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 Pretty sure they were Romanian Gypsies. Seen another car yesterday on the slip road to M25 off A405, there was a BMW E39 5 series stopped to "help" them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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