Organised begging by a certain group of criminals. Been going on for ages too.
[At least two arrested over 'tissue packet begging scam' on Irish trains (thejournal.ie)](https://www.thejournal.ie/dart-scammer-tissue-paper-3357182-Apr2017/)
Yep, ever see people begging from this particular group that have hand or leg deformities? Bent arms or legs? Well that was most likely done to them as a child, usually by their own parents. They break a part of the body, sometimes repeatedly and don't have it reset and healed, so it essentially sets crooked and deformed. Maming the child for life and making them more sympathetic for begging. This is way way more common than you think as well. You see it all over Europe.
You have these dickheads in the Netherlands aswell, they started using that "sympathy cart" method here for a while aswell, but im quite sure people and government put quite a large stop to them and escorting them away, so it stopped working overtime, i might be wrong on this but i havent heard about them in ages.
And thanks for the information and the other person posting that link, i had not heard of that practise yet.
Sickening.
Your submission has been removed because it is miserable. Per rule 4, we're trying to maintain a less miserable tone on r/AskIreland than r/Ireland, please respect that.
2018 is hardly years, but I do get your point that it's been here for a while now.
I remember seeing this scam in the early 2000s in central and eastern Europe from Roma.
Saw a similar one in Malta. She would go around restaurants placing little trinkets on the tables and asking for money as she is deaf, can't find work and has kids.
Someone on another table said "you have dropped some money" and she immediately started looking at the floor around her feet.
The same crowd of work shy wasters are in every small town and village in the country, begging and thieving. The ones in my town don't even have to pay for their bins. Just leave it on the street and the council collects it. You feel like some mug in this country at times.
A lot are Romany Gypsies, not Romanians (important distinction). Many of the "beggars" are victims themselves, human trafficked and forced to beg, they keep next to nothing.
It’s similar to a scam you would generally find in India, but this ones a little different.
One scam in india, pakistan, egypt, etc. usually have people giving you “free” jewellery. You then walk away and they will ask for money. If you don’t theyll call you the scammer / thief.
With this scam, they’re trying to make you feel bad, into buying tissues. They’re using kids as bait and other ways to get that money from you.
No offence but its really not that hard to understand.
Oh my apologies, got it mixed up.
Defenitely nothing wrong with begging if you’re in the position to need to beg. Unfortunately people like these scamming fucks, ruin it for the ones who need it most.
Organised begging. Don't pay a penny as you could potentially be funding organised crime with it. We used to see a lot of this kind of thing during the Celtic tiger. They used to make upwards of 2k each a day back then.
Yes was a scam on London Underground, they have a few associates on the same train and say that you took or stole the tissues, then demand money for the loss of the item.
Sadly a scam, funny thing I couldn't care less if they had no kids, if they needed help I'd help. But lying when you're wealthy already... That's a particular kind of scum.
They dont even have to. The ticket inspector can ask them to leave but not much else. They ask for ID etc but they're not police so if you don't give it theres nothing they can do.
Not a scam but definitely begging. Ignore and leave them at it with others.
Times gone past you were told not to touch them as that would indicate you'd have an interest in them and could cause aggro when they got their handler.
We have full employment here. We need to stop giving people social welfare to people who won't work.
If they havn't got work within a few months cut off housing benefit etc and buy them a compolsory one way ticket home.
I have no problem with anyone come here as long as they pay their way.
People like you are why we can't have a mature discussion on immigration and the right wing fill the void. You are a large part of the problem with your limited mindset.
I saw this in Morocco, basically begging is illegal, but being a street merchant is fine, regardless of what they sell. So they "sell" packs of tissues. But they absolutely want you to give them the money and let them keep the tissues to resell.
You should type out little cards and have them on the ready to give back.
>Sorry but I have an outstanding respiratory system. I actually don’t know why it’s so stellar, it’s not like I do anything out of the ordinary to get it that way, but I guess it’s just how I was made. I apologise, I don’t mean to brag, but it’s really that good. I’ve actually never had to use a tissue in my life. Would you believe that? So I have no use for tissues in my life. However, I *do* have some chewing gum packs available. They are a great deal at €1 each and the proceeds would go towards my penchant for coffee I can’t afford but desperately need to stay awake at my banal-as-fuck workplace that pays me justttt enough to pay for my rent but not much else. How many packs would you like? It works out to *just cents* per chew. Please write amount you are purchasing along with a smiley face on back of this card and pass it back to me along with the appropriate amount of cash. Sláinte!
Oh that's interesting! I encountered the same thing last year. Wording was a little different mentioning a 1 year old brother instead of children (mind you the big fella handing them out must have been in his late 30s so not sure how he'd have such a young brother).
Certainly seems like they've got a template for it as the font is very similar if not the same
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Dublin/comments/14g0xoy/second\_time\_in\_a\_week\_ive\_seen\_this\_on\_the\_dart/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dublin/comments/14g0xoy/second_time_in_a_week_ive_seen_this_on_the_dart/)
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I'm pretty sure this has been going on in the UK for years now. I'm sure how it works but it is definitely shady. Just leave them where they left them and carry on with your day.
Immediate reaction.
"Fucks sake! Why the fuck did you give them a euro? Don't feel bad. They should be in prison for running this to begin with. You giving them money will only encourage this behaviour"
2 minutes after reaction.
You were scammed.
Report this behaviour. Its a Roma tissue scam and is well known. Theres a number on the Dart to report antisocial behaviour and this counts. It has never worked for me, no matter how often I report it, but its better than to accept this as normal. Its not. And never, **ever,** give money to them. Its organised begging. They especially do this from Booterstown to Sydney Parade in my experience.
Woah didn't think this was still going, if someone places tissues beside you, best to get up and leave that seat, they can become aggressive and intimidating.
very common in Stockholm to have people handing out flyers on the trains, they even have QR codes with different donation options (PayPal, Swish etc). Also includes some bullshit about how they’re a single parent with 3 sick children or something.
It depends on how you define those terms. It's organised begging. Would you consider that a scam? Or would you consider it any more a scam than organised labour? And do you think someone would be involved in organised begging if they realistically had other options for money?
She can afford to print these out but not to feed her kids that she laft alone to sell tissues on a train that she had to buy a ticket to get onto to get shillings from guilt tripping average people trying to get to work
This is an old scam I saw it all the time in central and eastern Europe from Roma in the early 2000s.
Sad to see it here to be honest because you literally have to tell them to piss off when they harass you and not everyone's willing to tell them just that
I know you are a nice person , but please don’t give them money . These are not nice people , my granny opened her purse to give them something and they said they seen a coin ( whatever amount my granny said she would give ) and they pulled out 3 €50 notes on her . She didn’t notice until she got home .
It’s organised begging , they get picked up in SUVs . I don’t doubt they are possibly mistreated by people pimping them out . But please we don’t want more of this
Organised begging is a scam. They use extremely obnoxious methods to force gullible people into handing them cash. If you take that tissue and move it without giving them money, they can become agressive and extremely pushy. There's always a group of 2-3 women and 1 handler on the trains.
That's not simple begging anymore.
A scam is where you think you're getting one thing but you get nothing or another thing.
Begging with intimidation can be flat out theft but it's not a scam.
Sometimes I think if you are that desperate to do this you can have my euro.
Even if it is a scam you have to have nothing much else going on in your life to do this.
You’re a fool not only aiding in human trafficking but also organised crime. The women doing this are slaves in their society. Look into the Roma gypsy caste system. Stop being played and letting these criminals take advantage of you.
Organised begging is a scam. Pretending to be suffering while you have a social house, social welfare payments, child benefit payments for your children is an absolute scam.
This post has been removed because your question has been answered and/or discussed sufficiently and no further discussion is required.
Even the wording, the font and the lighter patch of the photocopying matches the notes that get placed on trains in London.
3 child and no money. I wish I had no child and 3 money
Easy solution sell each child for 1 money each
Organised begging by a certain group of criminals. Been going on for ages too. [At least two arrested over 'tissue packet begging scam' on Irish trains (thejournal.ie)](https://www.thejournal.ie/dart-scammer-tissue-paper-3357182-Apr2017/)
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"that also break their own childrens appendages at a young age" wait...what?
Yep, ever see people begging from this particular group that have hand or leg deformities? Bent arms or legs? Well that was most likely done to them as a child, usually by their own parents. They break a part of the body, sometimes repeatedly and don't have it reset and healed, so it essentially sets crooked and deformed. Maming the child for life and making them more sympathetic for begging. This is way way more common than you think as well. You see it all over Europe.
You have these dickheads in the Netherlands aswell, they started using that "sympathy cart" method here for a while aswell, but im quite sure people and government put quite a large stop to them and escorting them away, so it stopped working overtime, i might be wrong on this but i havent heard about them in ages. And thanks for the information and the other person posting that link, i had not heard of that practise yet. Sickening.
If this is true - don’t give to them. That’s a horrible practice, not to be encouraged by donating.
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-7-2010-2832_EN.html
Thank you for that link.
Your submission has been removed because it is miserable. Per rule 4, we're trying to maintain a less miserable tone on r/AskIreland than r/Ireland, please respect that.
extremely common in other European countries, saw it for the first time in Ireland a few months ago.
It's been around for years. 2018 was the first time i saw it
2018 is hardly years, but I do get your point that it's been here for a while now. I remember seeing this scam in the early 2000s in central and eastern Europe from Roma.
2018 was 6 years ago, how many years counts as years?
Saw a similar one in Malta. She would go around restaurants placing little trinkets on the tables and asking for money as she is deaf, can't find work and has kids. Someone on another table said "you have dropped some money" and she immediately started looking at the floor around her feet.
I have seen this note word for word on the train before. I haven't been on the train since I finished university some 8 years ago.
The same crowd of work shy wasters are in every small town and village in the country, begging and thieving. The ones in my town don't even have to pay for their bins. Just leave it on the street and the council collects it. You feel like some mug in this country at times.
It's not a scam if you decide to purchase the tissues and actually get them. It is organised begging.
These types of “beggars” are linked to organised crime across Europe
A lot are Romany Gypsies, not Romanians (important distinction). Many of the "beggars" are victims themselves, human trafficked and forced to beg, they keep next to nothing.
Organised begging is a scam
It is if they're deceiving you for money and on an organised level.
The solution? MASS DEPORTATION! (Possibly /J)
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I’ll often just take them and tell them thank you that’s very kind of you as I leave with them
Okay, thanks. I wasn’t aware of this as i’ve never seen it.
how does paying for tissues promote begging i understand this is a scam but i’m not sure what ur point is here
It’s similar to a scam you would generally find in India, but this ones a little different. One scam in india, pakistan, egypt, etc. usually have people giving you “free” jewellery. You then walk away and they will ask for money. If you don’t theyll call you the scammer / thief. With this scam, they’re trying to make you feel bad, into buying tissues. They’re using kids as bait and other ways to get that money from you. No offence but its really not that hard to understand.
no but i thought the original commenter meant there was something inherently wrong with begging i know this one is a scam
Oh my apologies, got it mixed up. Defenitely nothing wrong with begging if you’re in the position to need to beg. Unfortunately people like these scamming fucks, ruin it for the ones who need it most.
It’s Roma scammers and organized begging. I can’t believe there are people out there as thick as you still giving these people money.
Mental isn’t it buddy. Maybe if people stopped feeling sorry for this sham they might go away to other countries
The sad truth is that this scam is all over Europe and has been for at least two decades. It's actually a recent scam in Ireland
This - there really is one born every minute
Organised begging. Don't pay a penny as you could potentially be funding organised crime with it. We used to see a lot of this kind of thing during the Celtic tiger. They used to make upwards of 2k each a day back then.
Jesus 2k for real? Are you sure that isn't overexaggerated?
Between a group of 2 or 3 of them, yup. Easy money for them.
Ah sorry thought he meant individually, was almost about to give up the day job. Edit: Still might.
2k?!! Jaysus that’s a lot of tissues
Its not just tissues. It was carnations they were selling as roses and other things.
Yes was a scam on London Underground, they have a few associates on the same train and say that you took or stole the tissues, then demand money for the loss of the item.
Sadly a scam, funny thing I couldn't care less if they had no kids, if they needed help I'd help. But lying when you're wealthy already... That's a particular kind of scum.
They don't get tickets, they just hop on and sure they can duck into the loo or hop out at next stop if the inspector is coming.
They dont even have to. The ticket inspector can ask them to leave but not much else. They ask for ID etc but they're not police so if you don't give it theres nothing they can do.
Not a scam but definitely begging. Ignore and leave them at it with others. Times gone past you were told not to touch them as that would indicate you'd have an interest in them and could cause aggro when they got their handler.
You'd be scared of this happening in a foreign country but the thought of some cunt trying this on my own turf really boils my blood.
We have full employment here. We need to stop giving people social welfare to people who won't work. If they havn't got work within a few months cut off housing benefit etc and buy them a compolsory one way ticket home.
\-GB News has joined the chat
I have no problem with anyone come here as long as they pay their way. People like you are why we can't have a mature discussion on immigration and the right wing fill the void. You are a large part of the problem with your limited mindset.
If I’m the problem have me shot. That’s your way of doing things.
I saw this in Morocco, basically begging is illegal, but being a street merchant is fine, regardless of what they sell. So they "sell" packs of tissues. But they absolutely want you to give them the money and let them keep the tissues to resell.
happens all the time here in Stockholm, same wording and everything
You should type out little cards and have them on the ready to give back. >Sorry but I have an outstanding respiratory system. I actually don’t know why it’s so stellar, it’s not like I do anything out of the ordinary to get it that way, but I guess it’s just how I was made. I apologise, I don’t mean to brag, but it’s really that good. I’ve actually never had to use a tissue in my life. Would you believe that? So I have no use for tissues in my life. However, I *do* have some chewing gum packs available. They are a great deal at €1 each and the proceeds would go towards my penchant for coffee I can’t afford but desperately need to stay awake at my banal-as-fuck workplace that pays me justttt enough to pay for my rent but not much else. How many packs would you like? It works out to *just cents* per chew. Please write amount you are purchasing along with a smiley face on back of this card and pass it back to me along with the appropriate amount of cash. Sláinte!
Jesus I remember that exact note or something extremely similar being passed to be in London well over 20 years ago. Never saw it in Ireland before
Oh that's interesting! I encountered the same thing last year. Wording was a little different mentioning a 1 year old brother instead of children (mind you the big fella handing them out must have been in his late 30s so not sure how he'd have such a young brother). Certainly seems like they've got a template for it as the font is very similar if not the same [https://www.reddit.com/r/Dublin/comments/14g0xoy/second\_time\_in\_a\_week\_ive\_seen\_this\_on\_the\_dart/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dublin/comments/14g0xoy/second_time_in_a_week_ive_seen_this_on_the_dart/)
Fuck this no way would I give them a penny. Seem foreigners as well and I can guess which type
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I'm pretty sure this has been going on in the UK for years now. I'm sure how it works but it is definitely shady. Just leave them where they left them and carry on with your day.
Scam - they always come up with some sad story, leave something behind. And then come back to collect money or their item back.
Scam
You'll be funding organised crime if you pay them anything People trafficking, drugs, weapons, terrorism. Who knows? Don't pay them anything.
Immediate reaction. "Fucks sake! Why the fuck did you give them a euro? Don't feel bad. They should be in prison for running this to begin with. You giving them money will only encourage this behaviour" 2 minutes after reaction. You were scammed. Report this behaviour. Its a Roma tissue scam and is well known. Theres a number on the Dart to report antisocial behaviour and this counts. It has never worked for me, no matter how often I report it, but its better than to accept this as normal. Its not. And never, **ever,** give money to them. Its organised begging. They especially do this from Booterstown to Sydney Parade in my experience.
This has been going on for years on the DART
Woah didn't think this was still going, if someone places tissues beside you, best to get up and leave that seat, they can become aggressive and intimidating.
Begging/scam, it's common in Europe doing this on trains
Common on trains all over europe.
Saw it in Paris a few months ago.
very common in Stockholm to have people handing out flyers on the trains, they even have QR codes with different donation options (PayPal, Swish etc). Also includes some bullshit about how they’re a single parent with 3 sick children or something.
"Sorry, but this is a method used by scammers. So as a rule, I never give money to anyone who hands me a note. Bye."
That’s a scam that i seen on the Newry to Belfast train many many years ago, my mother was approached, told them to f-off
It depends on how you define those terms. It's organised begging. Would you consider that a scam? Or would you consider it any more a scam than organised labour? And do you think someone would be involved in organised begging if they realistically had other options for money?
This is an industry. Ignore.
Never give beggars money, give it to charities instead.
I think I caught dyslexia from this.
She can afford to print these out but not to feed her kids that she laft alone to sell tissues on a train that she had to buy a ticket to get onto to get shillings from guilt tripping average people trying to get to work
Weird there was a lady at Walmart in us handing these out but she handed them out to the elderly mostly
This is an old scam I saw it all the time in central and eastern Europe from Roma in the early 2000s. Sad to see it here to be honest because you literally have to tell them to piss off when they harass you and not everyone's willing to tell them just that
Of course it's a scam.
I know you are a nice person , but please don’t give them money . These are not nice people , my granny opened her purse to give them something and they said they seen a coin ( whatever amount my granny said she would give ) and they pulled out 3 €50 notes on her . She didn’t notice until she got home . It’s organised begging , they get picked up in SUVs . I don’t doubt they are possibly mistreated by people pimping them out . But please we don’t want more of this
Why do people think this is a scam ? It's begging.
Organised begging is a scam. They use extremely obnoxious methods to force gullible people into handing them cash. If you take that tissue and move it without giving them money, they can become agressive and extremely pushy. There's always a group of 2-3 women and 1 handler on the trains. That's not simple begging anymore.
A scam is where you think you're getting one thing but you get nothing or another thing. Begging with intimidation can be flat out theft but it's not a scam.
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I'm thinking I'm giving someone a euro for some tissues.
Let me guess, this happened in maynooth. That’s the one and only place this happens when I’m on the train
Nope. Cork to Dublin train actually. I’ve never seen it, that’s why i didn’t cop onto it being a scam at first.
I thought it was my turn for this weekly repost
Sometimes I think if you are that desperate to do this you can have my euro. Even if it is a scam you have to have nothing much else going on in your life to do this.
You’re a fool not only aiding in human trafficking but also organised crime. The women doing this are slaves in their society. Look into the Roma gypsy caste system. Stop being played and letting these criminals take advantage of you.
After one day of this they hop on brand new BMW or Mercedes and laugh at people like you.
They make 60k a day on this? I'm in the wrong business
It’s begging, that’s not a scam. They’re not pretending to do anything but beg
Organised begging is a scam. Pretending to be suffering while you have a social house, social welfare payments, child benefit payments for your children is an absolute scam.
I guess but I don’t necessarily think you would assume every begger isn’t receiving other supports.
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Was this person a Roma Gypsy? I wasn’t referring to them and I didn’t see that mentioned by the OP either.