Lambada, my post wasn't directed at you, rather I replied to the post above mine (where the poster suggested calling him a sh!t head). If he's a scammer and one knows that he is, it's best to ignore him, IMO. It works for me and I avoid any potential confrontation.
- Thread starter Lambada
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Gringo beggar outside Tropical, Puerto Plata
One can hardly ignore him when he gets in your face and addresses you.
It's only after hearing his spiel, that one realizes what he's up to.
Clearly, as he has been claiming to need money to get to his embassy for over a month now, he's a scammer, so what's left for us to do?
Advise other DR1 members.
I don't know whether this has got anything at all to do with the man that Lambada mentions, but I was approached about about 4 or 5 months ago by a portly middle aged man in Pedro Clisante, Sosua. It was approx 12pm and in the area of Atlantic Blue restaurant. I was walking fast as had to pick my daughter up from school and he approached me and asked if I spoke German, I said "No I'm English" and he started to tell me that he'd lost his credit cards etc. I just said "sorry, I can't help you, you need to ring your credit card company" as I carried on walking. I'm not generally unhelpful, but I did have an episode in UK when a man approached me at a train station and appeared to be distressed and in the same situation and I very nearly got 'taken in' and saw him approaching somebody else shortly after. To be honest, when I'm on my own, I now tend to remove myself as quickly as possible from these sorts of situations, just to avoid any possible confrontation. If I was a man, and I needed assistance in a busy area like Pedro Clisante, or the Tropicale Supermarket I would not specifically approach a single woman asking for help. I'd be more likely to approach another man, or ask for assistance in a shop or bar.
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He could be, Eddy, but I don't think so. Not enough indicators to lead to the conclusion he is a druggie. The eyes are 'shifty' not 'wild'. Very clean, well dressed. No sense of desperation, doesn't obviously appear to be armed. Could have a flick knife in his shoe, but no gun in belt & back pockets of tight fitting shorts would have showed weapon outline. I think it's as Rocky says - he does this for a living. Looking at him, food would come before drugs & he certainly wasn't the worse for alcohol when I spoke to him.
A
apostropheman
Guest
Este debe de ser un drogo que pide dinero para luego oler aquello
he must be on drugs that he asks for money to snort them soon...something like that
(he asks for money for drugs and snorts it when he gets it.)
he must be on drugs that he asks for money to snort them soon...something like that
(he asks for money for drugs and snorts it when he gets it.)
Just to clarify, the man that I spoke to in Pedro Clisante 4 or 5 months ago was respectable, well dressed and (maybe this is important) quite pale as I recall. So he just looked like a typical tourist. He wasn't inebriated in anyway and spoke English well.
Still sounds like the same guy, only I wouldn't call his English excellent.
He clearly had to concentrate to speak it and had a German accent.
The well dressed German/Austrian guy is at Jose Luis again today, or was about 2 hours ago. He now hangs out in the remote parking lot rather than in front of the store. He saw me but didn't bother to come over and speak to me. Guess he remembered our conversation from the other day. As I drove past him I whimped out my camera and took his picture. He saw me do that and quickly walked away. Well my camera didn't work, out of power, so I'll try again next time.
I personally am amazed at the fascination/revolt here concerning a German/Austrian/foreign guy asking/scamming for money on the North Coast of the DR. And "well-dressed" in a t-shirt and shorts and canvas shoes?? (Sorry, I live in Santo Domingo, and not at the beach)
I saw a few of the same types on the streets while in Switzerland and Germany. I have seen MANY dominicans asking/scamming/"dame algo" here doing the same thing. Most just poor, some using drugs, some ON drugs. If they're not high or using drugs, it usually just boils down to someone either down on their luck or trying to come up with enough money to make it to tomorrow. I doubt if they are banking what's left after they eat, etc.
Are you outraged that a foreigner would actually come here and compete with poor dominicans in the begging trade, or just surprised that someone who could come here in the first place and be so stupid as to lose whatever they had, and couldn't or wouldn't just go "home"? (maybe the guy fell in love with a dominicana and she cleaned him out.)
I'm actually considering taking a drive and giving this guy a $1000 pesos, just so he hangs on and keeps bugging all of the gringos there, jajaja. (how exactly do I get to Jose Luis??)
I saw a few of the same types on the streets while in Switzerland and Germany. I have seen MANY dominicans asking/scamming/"dame algo" here doing the same thing. Most just poor, some using drugs, some ON drugs. If they're not high or using drugs, it usually just boils down to someone either down on their luck or trying to come up with enough money to make it to tomorrow. I doubt if they are banking what's left after they eat, etc.
Are you outraged that a foreigner would actually come here and compete with poor dominicans in the begging trade, or just surprised that someone who could come here in the first place and be so stupid as to lose whatever they had, and couldn't or wouldn't just go "home"? (maybe the guy fell in love with a dominicana and she cleaned him out.)
I'm actually considering taking a drive and giving this guy a $1000 pesos, just so he hangs on and keeps bugging all of the gringos there, jajaja. (how exactly do I get to Jose Luis??)
Finally, someone dumber then me. Good luck GringoCarlos, make that 5,000 peso's I'm sure he would like that even more. He is a scammer, if you offer Embassy, or Tourist Police he walks away. Wonder why that is? If you dig for a little more information while talking to him he gets very uncomfortable. If I was in need I would welcome people digging for information or ideas to help me.
Why not just give it to the crackhead on the Conde who looks like Ozama and speaks +/- eight languages?
Support local industry. :knockedou
I don't support junkies. (and yes, I know the Osama double, and he isn't a bad kid when he has been straight for more than a day or two, which has now been about 5 or 6 years ago)
No I haven't yet met this guy, but I am willing to believe Lambada and Rocky's opinion that the German/Austrian/scammer doesn't look like a druggie, he is just doing this for a living. Would you prefer that he becomes a sanky instead? (well, maybe that would make him more acceptable here) Does this make him a scammer?? What beggar does NOT have a good story?
Maybe he has prior bad experience with his Embassy. Maybe his embassy is also useless when one of their citizens has a need for assistance (as several here have stated about both the British and US embassies in this country). Maybe he is wanted in his country. Maybe he just prefers coming up with a good story to try and get some $$.
Beats selling dope, doesn't it?
No I haven't yet met this guy, but I am willing to believe Lambada and Rocky's opinion that the German/Austrian/scammer doesn't look like a druggie, he is just doing this for a living. Would you prefer that he becomes a sanky instead? (well, maybe that would make him more acceptable here) Does this make him a scammer?? What beggar does NOT have a good story?
Maybe he has prior bad experience with his Embassy. Maybe his embassy is also useless when one of their citizens has a need for assistance (as several here have stated about both the British and US embassies in this country). Maybe he is wanted in his country. Maybe he just prefers coming up with a good story to try and get some $$.
Beats selling dope, doesn't it?
Its Kevin William
Rocky; said:Has to be the same guy, and he does speak & understand enough English to beg for money and to know when he's just been told to FO.:bunny: marco beware he lost his lap top LOL http://www.dr1.com/forums/living/65681-kevin-william-scam.html
That would be conjecture.
I am guessing that he would rather beg than work and that he does fairly well by it, but that's just a guess.
I had a similar case happen to me in SD - a foreign guy (German, Dutch) or maybe some other European descent who stayed in the same hotel where I was (or maybe pretended he was) told me he works at some European embassy offered to show me where a bank was, walked with me - while walking offered that we both rent an apartment together - I refused, started feeling uncomfortable and said that I will walk further alone, but he followed me and then, after he saw me getting money from the bank said that he is expecting a WU transfer and needs some money to pay to renew his passport so that he could get it. That was the last drop - I got angry and said NO. He got angry at me but had to leave.
He did not look sick or poor - I guess foreigners learn from sankies and try to replicate them with no success :ermm:
He did not look sick or poor - I guess foreigners learn from sankies and try to replicate them with no success :ermm: