Be aware of expat swindler in santiago.

AZB

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Jan 2, 2002
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I was not a bit surprised to see the foriegn filth from north coast has reached santiago. I guess not too many interpole agents looking for criminals in santiago.
yesterday I was having chicken at pollo provocon and I immediately noticed a foreigner sitting inside the restaurant with filthy clothes; someone who resembled a street swindler (typical white trash). As soon as he heard me speaking english with my indian friend he calls us over and pretends to be so glad to have found someone who speaks english. then he immediately gets into his deal. He pulls out an internet printed page with his supposedly e-ticket details. he says that he is a marine and has to get back to USA so he can serve his country in iraq. He has missed his flight due to some Blah Blah and needs some cash to help pay the panelty and get back on the flight.
He clearly looked like some criminal, borderline homeless. I just cut off his story and told him that i don't have any money and my friend paid for the chicken. he laughs out loud and tells me that my friend told him exactly the same thing. Then I heard him babbling something behind my back " cheap Fu**kin americans....". Then he got up and walked out to find his next target.
So be aware of this man, he is white, 5'9 ht, skinny and wears football shirt and looks filthy.
AZB
 

AnnaC

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Jan 2, 2002
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Wow what a line, " I have to get back to the USA to serve MY COUNTRY in Iraq" :laugh:

I wonder how many people it's worked on so far?
 

Tamborista

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Apr 4, 2005
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The same "Con Artist" was holding a baby as a prop, with his printed out American Airlines Itinerary, in The Gran Almirante in Santiago begging for $20 to get to the airport last week . He has a well rehearsed story and is basically a street beggar that speaks English.
 

Rocky

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Tamborista said:
The same "Con Artist" was holding a baby as a prop, with his printed out American Airlines Itinerary, in The Gran Almirante in Santiago begging for $20 to get to the airport last week . He has a well rehearsed story and is basically a street beggar that speaks English.
Did he have a hairy back and wear flip flops?
 

DominicanScotty

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As you would in NY

AZB said:
I was not a bit surprised to see the foriegn filth from north coast has reached santiago. I guess not too many interpole agents looking for criminals in santiago.
yesterday I was having chicken at pollo provocon and I immediately noticed a foreigner sitting inside the restaurant with filthy clothes; someone who resembled a street swindler (typical white trash). As soon as he heard me speaking english with my indian friend he calls us over and pretends to be so glad to have found someone who speaks english. then he immediately gets into his deal. He pulls out an internet printed page with his supposedly e-ticket details. he says that he is a marine and has to get back to USA so he can serve his country in iraq. He has missed his flight due to some Blah Blah and needs some cash to help pay the panelty and get back on the flight.
He clearly looked like some criminal, borderline homeless. I just cut off his story and told him that i don't have any money and my friend paid for the chicken. he laughs out loud and tells me that my friend told him exactly the same thing. Then I heard him babbling something behind my back " cheap Fu**kin americans....". Then he got up and walked out to find his next target.
So be aware of this man, he is white, 5'9 ht, skinny and wears football shirt and looks filthy.
AZB


F*ck em and then move on! You're right though, they are spreading to other parts of the country, argh!


Jeeeesh, I was going to write more but this piece of garbage con artist isn't worth the time.
 

Andy B

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Jan 1, 2002
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This guy gets around. The same guy as described with exactly the same story approached me in Santo Domingo on Avenida Independencia near the clinic I was visiting back toward the end of May for a checkup on my heart procedure I went through 3 weeks earlier. And when I refused to give him any money, the comment was the same, :F#*#ing American." Had I not been still experiencing chest pain I would have turned around and pasted the slimy little bas*##d.
 

MrMike

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Whenever anybody like this gets near me I immediately put my hand out and ask them for spare change.

They usually back up half a step in shock and I take the opportunity to move in and mumble about how God will bless them if they help me buy my medicine.

It saves alot of time because then THEY start looking for a way out of the conversation instead of me trying to get rid ofthem.
 

AZB

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Jan 2, 2002
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you have to make sure whom you are dealing with first. I learned a hard lesson and here is my story:
We usually have people come into office to ask for money to buy medicine or food for a baby they are carrying. They usually present you a prescription from a doctor and ask you for money to buy the medicine for the sick baby.
Once I was almost leaving from my office to have lunch with friends. As I was taking my wallet out of my desk and shutting down my pc, comes in a woman with a son with a missing leg. the leg seemed recently amputated. they were badly dressed and looked extremely poor. So at first glance the woman simply gives me the reciept with some giberish written on it. I didn't even bother to read the paper and instantly assumed they were beggers and were most definately asking for money. So I yelled at her and told her that people like her are coming in everyday to disturb the people all over the building and blah blah blah. She tried to tell me something but I cut her off and simply took out 30 pesos from my wallet and told her to hit the door. I mean, enough is enough as we have people with AIDS and other swindler coming in at least a few times a week with their peoblems.
As I gave her the money, the mother and son looked at each other in shock. Then the mother threw the money on my desk and told me that she is no begger and infact she has come from the mayor's office to seek treatment for her son. The paper has instructions written from a doctor. Upon hearing that, I wished the floor would open up and swallow me in. I had no defense. I was in a corner. I immediately started to appologize and asked for her forgiveness. I explained to her that I had confused her for another lady who comes here to beg and that she looked like her. Yikexxxx. even that didn't sound good.
Needless to say, the lady left my office in disgust.
So now I am super carefull in judging people in my office.
AZB
 

Lambada

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AZB said:
So now I am super carefull in judging people in my office.
AZB
A salutory tale, that.
After poverty escalated under the previous Government, I now assume that if people tell me they're hungry, then hungry is what they are and a small donation will go some way to help that. Of course there are the known beggar rings, usually not Dominican, usually using other people's children........and I avoid those.
But have you noticed, it's only us foreigners who get hot and bothered about beggars? Dominicans, if they have a few pesos, will usually put their hands in their pockets and hand it over. No fuss. If someone goes to the baker's saying they're hungry, they'll be given a bread roll. I think a lot of us imported our concern about begging from our previous cultures; I know I did when I first lived here. I'm a lot less concerned about the act of begging now, but still terribly concerned as to why people should need to.
 

DominicanScotty

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Isn't that the truth

Lambada said:
A salutory tale, that.
After poverty escalated under the previous Government, I now assume that if people tell me they're hungry, then hungry is what they are and a small donation will go some way to help that. Of course there are the known beggar rings, usually not Dominican, usually using other people's children........and I avoid those.
But have you noticed, it's only us foreigners who get hot and bothered about beggars? Dominicans, if they have a few pesos, will usually put their hands in their pockets and hand it over. No fuss. If someone goes to the baker's saying they're hungry, they'll be given a bread roll. I think a lot of us imported our concern about begging from our previous cultures; I know I did when I first lived here. I'm a lot less concerned about the act of begging now, but still terribly concerned as to why people should need to.

Recently at Puerto Plata I was eating pulpo at a fish restaurant and a beggar walked in. He automatically started his rounds and the Dominicans all (and I mean all of them) dug deep into their pockets to give this guy a few pesos. They didn't growl, cuss, as a matter of fact they didn't even stop their conversations. They just dug down and gave with a simple smile. I was on this man's route and I also dug in and gave him 100 pesos. Once the guy got to a couple of tourists, all heck broke out, the yelling, the cussing, the hand gestures, the disruption of an otherwise peaceful Dominican afternoon. Dominicans just looked at each other in obvious disgust. A Dominican man, who obviously could use a few pesos himself dug down into his pockets again and gave the beggar some more, again with a smile. Lessons to be learned folks!
 
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A lot of times it breaks my heart, but I refuse to give money to beggars, because I know that for most of them it is a business. The one thing that I do however, is give food to kids that I know are hungry. If I'm anywhere eating or just having a beer and a kid comes around asking for cash, I'll buy him some food that he can eat on the spot, but I won't give out cash.
 

DominicanScotty

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This I often do

Hipocrito Mejia said:
A lot of times it breaks my heart, but I refuse to give money to beggars, because I know that for most of them it is a business. The one thing that I do however, is give food to kids that I know are hungry. If I'm anywhere eating or just having a beer and a kid comes around asking for cash, I'll buy him some food that he can eat on the spot, but I won't give out cash.


Shoeshine boys, my favorite little buggers (not beggars). I love these little kids, most of them anyway. Feeding them is a wonderful way of showing your love to people that obviously have less then we do. It doesn't always has to be money.
 
G

gary short

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MrMike said:
Whenever anybody like this gets near me I immediately put my hand out and ask them for spare change.

They usually back up half a step in shock and I take the opportunity to move in and mumble about how God will bless them if they help me buy my medicine.

It saves alot of time because then THEY start looking for a way out of the conversation instead of me trying to get rid ofthem.

So....how much money do you make using that angle?
 

rellosk

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Hipocrito Mejia said:
A lot of times it breaks my heart, but I refuse to give money to beggars, because I know that for most of them it is a business. The one thing that I do however, is give food to kids that I know are hungry. If I'm anywhere eating or just having a beer and a kid comes around asking for cash, I'll buy him some food that he can eat on the spot, but I won't give out cash.
Ditto .
 

Snuffy

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I made a similar mistake with a lady who walked into the colmado where I was shopping. She was going around and talking to several different people and looked like a begger. She turned to me and our eyes met. She did not approach me and I said nothing. She left the store. After I was done I told my wife that I should give her some money. So I chased her down and held out a 50 peso note. She looked at me weird and said that she did not need any money and that she lived nearby. I also apoligized. So it happens.
 

MrMike

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I happens to Dominicans too, I drove an old Nissan that was falling apart down Las Carreras in Santiago a few times and people would always try to get in when I stopped for red lights.

They thought it was a concho just because it looked like crap.
 

BushBaby

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MrMike said:
I happens to Dominicans too, I drove an old Nissan that was falling apart down Las Carreras in Santiago a few times and people would always try to get in when I stopped for red lights.

They thought it was a concho just because it looked like crap.
So THAT's how you made your first million MrM? Route/Taxi & asking for money from scammers??

Now you drive round in a big Jeepeta, does everyone salute you thinking you are a colonel?

AZB.
Now that you are humbled (& seen the light re pink flip-flops), can I come round for a free manipulation? I DON'T have a hairy back!!

Lambada
(Quote - I'm a lot less concerned about the act of begging now, but still terribly concerned as to why people should need to. (end quote)

I'll take a rain check on that if I may. Might give you the pleeding look in a day or two!! :bunny: :squareeye ~ Grahame.