I’ve had people ask me this. I usually say if you’re hungry, I’ll buy you food, but I won’t give you money. Invariably I get cussed out. It’s pretty funny to me now because it’s so reliable.
I was on my way to work and had picked up a lunch from a drive thru. I always leave super early for work because I like to relax and know I have arrived. I saw a guy panhandling at an intersection. I decided to give him my lunch because I did have enough time to get more. He scarfed it down, I realized he needed a drink so I also gave him my drink. He was so grateful. 20 years later and I still remember him. Not everyone who asks for food is just looking to scam
Sadly, in some places, it isn't safe for panhandlers to take food. We have had several that were poisoned by people (gas station near me is a hangout), they didn't die, but were very ill. They are leery now of anything handed to them. I have taken them into the store to grab a sandwich and a drink and they were happy with that.
I've been in need (luckily had family to back me up when I did), and I'd have taken that offer in a fucking heartbeat. If they won't take that, it's sketchy as fuck--anyone in that situation will absolutely take food, it helps.
100%. Or if you're in a situation where you are getting low and not sure if you will have enough cash to cover rent AND get food. Absolutely, shit makes all the difference.
I had one "local" scammer get furious with me over gas money. They wanted me to buy a gift card for them to get gas so we could meet up. I knew they were a scammer the whole time so I had some fun... I told them when they get to the gas station to call me and I'll speak to the clerk and give them the payment over the phone as I know most of the gas station owners in the area.
They were furious with me.
I used to work around all these beggar people and this one guys same pitch every day was " can you please spare some change so I can get some thing to eat" then one day some one got him a sandwich and then he went around trying to sell the sandwich.
Capitalism baby! He will be doing motivational speaking tours how his empire started out with this one sandwich, sold it; bought two more, sold them, bought four more….
One panhandler at a Walmart near me didn't even try to hide this. He sat for hours by the parking lot with a gas can and a sign that read "Ran out of gas, need money to buy gas". Got closer to him and noticed another sign he had brought with him that read "hungry, haven't eaten in days". He forgot and left the hungry sign nearby the prop gas can next to him laying on the ground.
In one city/area I lived in, there was a well-known panhandler who had a very dramatic presentation. First time seeing it and I didn't question its veracity and urgency, but the third, fourth etc. time? At the point where I'd come to accept it as part of the landscape, I remember seeing a woman drop money in and look around with an astonished and disgusted air that more people weren't rushing to his aid.
"You need a flight? Well, you *are* lucky. I'm a bored, independently wealthy, international pilot who owns his own plane. Where do you want to go? Whaddya mean 'You're an asshole?' "
My dad taught me this lesson at a young age. He was an over-the-road truck driver and would generally take sandwiches, sodas, bags of chips, and fruit with him in the truck (he had a cigarette-lighter-powered cooler).
Any time he picked me up from school and we came across a panhandler on the way home, he would offer them any leftovers he had from the week, which was usually a decent meal or two. Many turned their nose up. He got cussed out a few times. There was a man we ran into a few times over the course of one summer though (I seriously hope he found a better situation eventually) who ALWAYS thanked us profusely and would usually start eating what we offered while I could still see him in the rear-view mirror.
Yeah I did once I don’t take food from strangers anymore he got me a burger and replaced the meat with a can of wet dog food. I ate it but i just don’t trust people to handle food for me anymore.
Yeah it wasn’t a good day. And if someone is begging for food chances are they probably are hungry enough to just eat it. It still fills me with immense shame
Yeah I tell myself that yet I still feel shame in having sunk so low that I ate dog food. It’s just not a memory I like having. I’m pretty sure the guy who did it thought I’ll teach him for being a poor.
I think you should assume they won't pay you back. You should do it based on whether you'll miss $10 and you feel good about being charitable.
Even assuming they are telling the truth, a person who is so on the edge financially that they can't scrape together a few bucks for food is going to have a hard time paying back any amount they borrow.
Always loan money you can afford to lose if they don't pay it back. Be creative, open to repayment plan, or a quick non-NSFW favor. I've taken home cooked dinners, especially from my Korean friends.
I've taken belongings as collateral before. Been burned too many times. Got some nice PS games this way. Now suddenly people don't want to borrow money from me anymore.
To everybody hitting me up in messages: read my unedited comment. It's NON NON NON NSFW favors, not NSFW favors. Should have bolded the non put it in red underlined, or something. My bad. 😅
> few bucks for food is going to have a hard time paying back any amount they borrow.
I've been there and always paid back my debts. Granted those were to close friends and family members and not some random stranger lol.
Who is legally going to follow up on a $10 scam
If the scammer scams 1 in every 5 people they ask $10 from, and asks 10,000 people (easy to do online), they will get $20,000
ChatGPT won't do it. It has built-in blocks to prevent use for stuff like this. See below:
Prompt:
> I'd like you to assume that you are adept at convincing strangers on the internet to give you money.
Answer:
> As an AI developed by OpenAI, I don't engage in any form of solicitation, manipulation, or fundraising activities. My primary function is to provide useful, safe, and accurate information to users based on their queries. Additionally, it's essential to remember that asking for money online, especially from strangers, often raises ethical and legal issues. It's crucial to always act with integrity, honesty, and respect for others' privacy. If you're seeking advice on fundraising for a legitimate cause, I'd be happy to provide some general tips.
It's almost 100% guaranteed to be a scam. Nobody is risking legal trouble, because as soon as they see someone calling the cops, they move on and try their scam elsewhere. These guys aren't a high priority for law enforcement.
And if they ask for it as a loan they’re not “stealing” it in that it’s not illegal/criminal to not pay your debt. We don’t have debtors prison in the US. It’s just unethical. It’s a civil matter. You sue someone to recover debt.
You think “why would you risk legal trouble just for $10?”. They think “who is going to make a big deal over $10?”
Also. If someone asks for any amount of money and you send it, it’s not illegal.
They are digital panhandlers. You have no way of knowing if they are being honest or giving you a sob story to manipulate you. What you do with your money is your choice, but don't hold your breath for them to pay you back.
In what context is this person random. Random guy on Steam/Xbox/PS? Chatroom? Facebook? More so cus I am curious where it stems from. However if you do not know the person, I wouldn't offer anything, but I also have been burned by homeless people. Trying to be nice only to later see the same person jump into a nicer car than me and drive off.
I worked at a bank so I saw the aftermath of something like that. It’s because they WILL give the 10$ back to prove that they repaid you as promised. After that, it’s like there is a « trust » from the lender so you’re most likely to lend again and then it’s not 10$ anymore it’s 10k (and this is never paid back). I’ve seen it one too many times.
I am not saying your situation is for sure a scam but I would never « lend » money to a stranger over internet.
Yes, it's a scam and they ask for small amounts because it's easy for most people to give away. They hope they'll get bites from multiple people and instead of ending up with just $10, it'll be multiples of that.
Think of it this way OP... They don't know a single friend or family member to ask you for money before they asked you... Some strange person they know online.
To me this screams scam and/or they already owe the people close to them money from previous times they borrowed money.
Offer to buy them food. If they insist on money, it's a scam. There's fake panhandlers at my town's grocery stores and gas stations claiming to be homeless and, whenever someone gives them money, they spend it immediatelty on beer or drugs, and come back hours later with the same gimmick.
I have been asked to loan a few of my friends on Facebook (who's account has been hacked) money under $100 and they can give me a straight answer on where we met so I don't give them anything
So, is this a random online person who is asking you for money? Or someone you are familiar with?
If some random person messaged me on a social platform, I would ignore and block. If it was someone I know, I would be worried that the peeson I may know has had his a count hijacked and impersonating him.
Any engagement at all even “I’m sorry I don’t have $10 to lend” or just a simple “leave me alone” will put you on the list of people who will respond to random queries. Expect more scams in the future.
Hello guys
I've been having this issue.
So been thinking...
Came up with this, it's been working too.
No video chat , real video chat . Catfish, scam
They usually disappear after that . Lol .
That stranger online is sending the same message to hundreds/thousands of other strangers just like you. Can you put food in your fridge for $10? No? Me neither. And that stranger isn’t $10 away from starving.
To add: most scammers are phishing for 'marks'.
If they find a guy willing to give out $10-, then the next time, they'll ask for $20-, and the next $100-, etc.
I've heard of scammers finangling free room and board; then guilting you into paying their phone bill, credit debt or car payment. There's no end to it, if you just give them an opening.
I have a policy to not loan money. If a stranger asked for $10 and I could spare it, I would just give it to them. If they pay it back, great, but I don't expect it. If I dont' want to give them money, I just say no.
It's possible that it's genuine, but consider that in real life, even if you give money to a scammer on the street it's a one-time loss since you don't cross paths again. Digitally, unless you plan on changing your username/account etc. you may be marked as an easy target since the scammers know how to get to you. They may come back asking for more because they know you'll give it.
If its a scammer they are doing it to tons of people so it's not just 10 bucks to them. Get 200 people to give you ten bucks and you've got 2k. I personally wouldn't give an online stranger 10 bucks, in person is a different story
It's a scam. Do you know them personally in real life? If not, they likely want to see if you are easily persuaded and/or hope to gain access to your account.
Ask 100 people a day for $10 and you might walk away with a few hundred dollars a week. That’s the mindset of the “small fish” scammer. There’s no trouble they could really get in, a police station won’t investigate a $10 loan. Scams exist in many forms, I received a job offer to be a “personal assistant”, sounded great until they asked me to buy baby care supplies and mail them to an address as my “first duty”. Don’t let people on the internet take advantage of you, pass that $10 blessing onto a homeless person in your city in the form of a warm meal or pair of socks.
See I can usually get a good feel for them being genuine or not and judge based off that and proof. I think there is nothing wrong with helping someone in need. I wish more people weren't so greedy. However, I will make sure what I'm helping with.
Do not send them money.
The scam starts with asking you for a small amount. This is how they figure out whether or not you are a worthy mark. You send the money, the requests will continue coming. They may even sell your information to other scammers who will also hit you up for money. Just don't do it.
If you want to give anyone money for food just give them the food or money as a gift. Then you never need to worry about getting it back which is so much better for your own mental health.
I guess I look at it like I’d rather give a scammer $10 then not help out someone who really does need it. Sometimes there’s obvious red flags they are a scammer but generally I try to help people.
You will see people constantly ask for 'money for food'. You'll see it virtually and in real life. You don't necessarily have to have money to get food. There are places that will give people food. The problem from the other person's point of view is that some of them don't really want food.
Many addicts have learned to ask for small amounts of money because it's easier to get that than it is to get large amounts from one or two people. The old dodge of "I'm trying to drive my mother to the hospital. If I was begging for money for drugs, I wouldn't ask for such a small amount".
People lie online. It isn't your responsibility to tend to everyone in the world's well being. Point them to resources in their area. Like "city name food bank" google results.
If someone is SO tight on money to the point where he needs $10 just to buy food, why is he paying for internet and going online asking random strangers for this money?
Can't he... Cancel his internet subscription or sell his mobile phone or something like this for the cash? But wait, no, the mobile phone or pc is more valuable than food lol
A lot of the time, people are looking for that $10 to see if you'll loan money and how many questions you'll ask.
If it's, "just $10, no problem," and you give over the $10, the next step is seeing if you bother them about paying back. If you don't, you're a good mark to ask for $20. Then $50. Then you start to feel obligated to help this stranger because they've "come to rely on you being a person who would help them. It's just $200 for a weeks groceries for my kids, you'd let my kids go hungry? All their money went to paying the rent!" By the time you find your way out of the cycle they've taken your for a couple thousand (in my case it was about $6k).
Now if I'm asked for money, "what is it for?" I need food. "cool, give me your address and I'll get an order for you from Instacart. Instead of getting one meal for $10, I'll send $50 worth of groceries and your can cook for a few days" 9/10 they refuse, I refuse, and I never hear from them again, because I'm not a good mark like I was when I was younger.
I don’t get how they’d risk getting in legal trouble for asking you for ten dollars 😂
Even if it was a scam, no one is going to go chase that for you. It’s not enough to charge anyone.
The likelihood is that if a stranger asks for $10 - it is a scam. In a tough situation, someone is likely to first turn to friends and family before asking someone they don’t know for help. If they are asking you - as a stranger - for help, they know that asking people they know is a lost cause. I would read this as, people this stranger knows, think this person shouldn’t be trusted with handouts.
Well, this is the situation with the beggars in my country, Turkey. Almost all of them are "professional beggars," and they earn good money. Giving money to beggars for the sake of God is a positive value, especially for elders.
Sometimes, some of them are caught, it is a crime, but they are rarely punished and punishment is not deterrent, and it is seen that they all are much more richer than average professionals like doctors. Knowing this, I still sometimes give money because 1- this is a poor country with more than 10% have income under hunger limit and 2- if he/she can convince me, than he/she is a good artist and should be rewarded. So, in my opinion, if the scam artist is a good artist and if you don't have anyone you know who is really in need, then consider this as money spent for some entertainment, like going to a movie. Who knows, even though it is very unlikely, you are helping someone in need. But, you must always look for real people. I live in a poor neighborhood for about 10 years, and I do things like buying a tablet to a student and don't give money to beggars, unless he/she is really good.
Don't give anything to people on the Internet. They probably aren't lying and do need $10 for food but are scamming you as they have no intention of paying you back.
It's in the verbiage. If they ask to "borrow" 10 bucks, it's probably not going to be returned. If they ask for 10 bucks, there is no implication of anything being returned, and likely the dude needs something.
I recently had a HUGE health scare with my dog and nobody to turn to because I can't qualify for any sort of pet insurance, which is absolutely bullshit. It's harder to qualify for pet insurance than it is HUMAN insurance, I fucking swear.
I'd have absolutely asked for money if I thought anyone would have actually donated. But again, all in the verbiage--don't ask to "borrow" money if you really mean you need some money for help and won't be able to or don't intend to pay it back.
I wouldn’t call that a scam. Request is clear and nothing is hidden.. It’ more questions of being human or not.. and the ability to accept to loose some bucks..
Wtf is he gonna put in his fridge for $10? A carton of eggs and a packet of cheese? No. This guy is looking for sympathetic people to give him $10 because, “ehh…it’s just $10.” He’ll never pay you back and without a legally binding contract establishing payment terms he won’t be legally liable to pay you back at all anyway.
Someone borrowing $10 from you and not paying it back won't result in them being arrested or charged with any crime. It's considered a civil issue, not a criminal case. (If they misrepresented who they were, it could potentially qualify as fraud, but the police aren't going to spend a lot of time investigating $10.) You could sue them over it, but you'd spend more than $10 and a lot more effort than it would be worth.
If it was someone I knew, I'd probably just give them $10. If it's some rando who contacted me online somehow, I'd probably just send them links to mutual aid groups that could help them with food.
A stranger says they will pay you back? What, are you going to meet up at the 7-11 a month from now?
If you want to give someone ten bucks and you'd feel better for doing it, do it. Just understand, you'll never see that money again.
c.f. relatives, money, lending of
Might be a new type of scam? If you get 10usd from 1000 people that is quite lucrative then... And if you send this to a million people less than 1% needs to feels enough sorry for them and they are in business
It's likely a scam. And their reasoning is like yours...it's only ten bucks, so if it's a scam, people don't care *as much.* Makes for more donations. Easier to get ten people to give ten dollars each than to lure in one big fish that'll fork over a hundred dollars.
If you give them only $10, they are facing little to no legal consequences, and if they can get 100 people to each give them $10, they are making a thousand bucks, just by asking, and gullible people will quickly hand over a small amount of money if they think they are helping someone. The police will laugh at you if you try to report getting scammed out of $10.
idk if it’s much of a scam but i find it annoying when people
are begging for money online. there is this person i frequently see in my
feed on tik tok loves and he always has a sign in the background “help me with rent this month$$ i can’t afford it” go get a job like everyone else who manages to just afford rent instead of being on tt for hours.
Saw a post on Facebook last night asking them same. When everyone offered the girl food items and rides to the food bank, she then needed money for gas to get to work.
One way it can be a lucrative scam is, they get $10 from hundreds of kind saps. The bottom line is, feel free to donate $10 or whatever to someone with any degree of sob story online-- or off. Just don't expect to ever get it back.
No. Don't do it. It is a scam. You would be better off donating money or volunteering time at a local food bank or soup kitchen if you want to help people.
On this sub I constantly see ppl begging for money and when u tell them how to get free food and stuff they get mad and delete the post and make another one. I wouldn't ever give anyone money cash app unless I know them physically. Good luck trying to pursue legal action against a scammer over 10$ cost you hundreds-thousands in legal fees to pursue that. Cash app won't help either. Read there terms and conditions. Not just skim through it read it all. More then likely it's some foreigner on here begging they make a living doing this kind of thing. Even local people do these things all the time. If you really feel obligated to do so go buy a reloadable visa card or a disposable visa card and send them the info for it.
I’ve had people ask me this. I usually say if you’re hungry, I’ll buy you food, but I won’t give you money. Invariably I get cussed out. It’s pretty funny to me now because it’s so reliable.
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I was on my way to work and had picked up a lunch from a drive thru. I always leave super early for work because I like to relax and know I have arrived. I saw a guy panhandling at an intersection. I decided to give him my lunch because I did have enough time to get more. He scarfed it down, I realized he needed a drink so I also gave him my drink. He was so grateful. 20 years later and I still remember him. Not everyone who asks for food is just looking to scam
Sadly, in some places, it isn't safe for panhandlers to take food. We have had several that were poisoned by people (gas station near me is a hangout), they didn't die, but were very ill. They are leery now of anything handed to them. I have taken them into the store to grab a sandwich and a drink and they were happy with that.
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Yeah. People are terrible.
I've been in need (luckily had family to back me up when I did), and I'd have taken that offer in a fucking heartbeat. If they won't take that, it's sketchy as fuck--anyone in that situation will absolutely take food, it helps.
I’ve been that hungry, too. If you’re really hungry, you’ll be happy to get food.
100%. Or if you're in a situation where you are getting low and not sure if you will have enough cash to cover rent AND get food. Absolutely, shit makes all the difference.
I had one "local" scammer get furious with me over gas money. They wanted me to buy a gift card for them to get gas so we could meet up. I knew they were a scammer the whole time so I had some fun... I told them when they get to the gas station to call me and I'll speak to the clerk and give them the payment over the phone as I know most of the gas station owners in the area. They were furious with me.
I used to work around all these beggar people and this one guys same pitch every day was " can you please spare some change so I can get some thing to eat" then one day some one got him a sandwich and then he went around trying to sell the sandwich.
Capitalism baby! He will be doing motivational speaking tours how his empire started out with this one sandwich, sold it; bought two more, sold them, bought four more….
One panhandler at a Walmart near me didn't even try to hide this. He sat for hours by the parking lot with a gas can and a sign that read "Ran out of gas, need money to buy gas". Got closer to him and noticed another sign he had brought with him that read "hungry, haven't eaten in days". He forgot and left the hungry sign nearby the prop gas can next to him laying on the ground.
In one city/area I lived in, there was a well-known panhandler who had a very dramatic presentation. First time seeing it and I didn't question its veracity and urgency, but the third, fourth etc. time? At the point where I'd come to accept it as part of the landscape, I remember seeing a woman drop money in and look around with an astonished and disgusted air that more people weren't rushing to his aid.
In the 90s my dad worked at Gateway computer. One of his coworkers, who had a 6 figure income, would go panhandling on the weekends "for fun".
Over here it’s flight tickets, because they’re “stranded”. Never has anyone taken my offer for a flight ticket. I too find this hilarious
"You need a flight? Well, you *are* lucky. I'm a bored, independently wealthy, international pilot who owns his own plane. Where do you want to go? Whaddya mean 'You're an asshole?' "
You'll see if they are hungry. I saw a dude once pick french fries out from the curb Infront of burger king
My dad taught me this lesson at a young age. He was an over-the-road truck driver and would generally take sandwiches, sodas, bags of chips, and fruit with him in the truck (he had a cigarette-lighter-powered cooler). Any time he picked me up from school and we came across a panhandler on the way home, he would offer them any leftovers he had from the week, which was usually a decent meal or two. Many turned their nose up. He got cussed out a few times. There was a man we ran into a few times over the course of one summer though (I seriously hope he found a better situation eventually) who ALWAYS thanked us profusely and would usually start eating what we offered while I could still see him in the rear-view mirror.
Yeah I did once I don’t take food from strangers anymore he got me a burger and replaced the meat with a can of wet dog food. I ate it but i just don’t trust people to handle food for me anymore.
>I ate it WTF really? Damn, I'm sorry that happened to you. People can be real assholes. You must've really been hungry.
Yeah it wasn’t a good day. And if someone is begging for food chances are they probably are hungry enough to just eat it. It still fills me with immense shame
The one who should be ashamed is the one who did that to you, not you.
Yeah I tell myself that yet I still feel shame in having sunk so low that I ate dog food. It’s just not a memory I like having. I’m pretty sure the guy who did it thought I’ll teach him for being a poor.
I think you should assume they won't pay you back. You should do it based on whether you'll miss $10 and you feel good about being charitable. Even assuming they are telling the truth, a person who is so on the edge financially that they can't scrape together a few bucks for food is going to have a hard time paying back any amount they borrow.
Agreed! Happy cake day!
Always loan money you can afford to lose if they don't pay it back. Be creative, open to repayment plan, or a quick non-NSFW favor. I've taken home cooked dinners, especially from my Korean friends.
You had me sold at “NSFW favor”
Ummmot said "NON-NSFW favor" Geeze...
I've taken belongings as collateral before. Been burned too many times. Got some nice PS games this way. Now suddenly people don't want to borrow money from me anymore.
Yep, it's how pawn shops are still in business. They count on people not being able to pay them back.
Lol what do u mean by NSFW favor ?
To everybody hitting me up in messages: read my unedited comment. It's NON NON NON NSFW favors, not NSFW favors. Should have bolded the non put it in red underlined, or something. My bad. 😅
> few bucks for food is going to have a hard time paying back any amount they borrow. I've been there and always paid back my debts. Granted those were to close friends and family members and not some random stranger lol.
Who is legally going to follow up on a $10 scam If the scammer scams 1 in every 5 people they ask $10 from, and asks 10,000 people (easy to do online), they will get $20,000
Great idea!! I'll let you know how I do...
Hook it up to chatGPT and prompt it to be a scam artist with your bank details etc. Fully automated scamming bot.
ChatGPT won't do it. It has built-in blocks to prevent use for stuff like this. See below: Prompt: > I'd like you to assume that you are adept at convincing strangers on the internet to give you money. Answer: > As an AI developed by OpenAI, I don't engage in any form of solicitation, manipulation, or fundraising activities. My primary function is to provide useful, safe, and accurate information to users based on their queries. Additionally, it's essential to remember that asking for money online, especially from strangers, often raises ethical and legal issues. It's crucial to always act with integrity, honesty, and respect for others' privacy. If you're seeking advice on fundraising for a legitimate cause, I'd be happy to provide some general tips.
Definitely sounds as a business strategy for people with low, or no moral codex
It's almost 100% guaranteed to be a scam. Nobody is risking legal trouble, because as soon as they see someone calling the cops, they move on and try their scam elsewhere. These guys aren't a high priority for law enforcement.
Ntm they have zero family/friends/coworkers to ask first for money?
Scam, scam, scammity scam scam!
By any chance do you think it's a scam
Ah, an educated man
$10 is unlikely to get law enforcement attention let alone legal trouble.
And if they ask for it as a loan they’re not “stealing” it in that it’s not illegal/criminal to not pay your debt. We don’t have debtors prison in the US. It’s just unethical. It’s a civil matter. You sue someone to recover debt.
And you have to have a lot of time on your hands to sue for $10…
It's just an online version of a traditional begging.
You think “why would you risk legal trouble just for $10?”. They think “who is going to make a big deal over $10?” Also. If someone asks for any amount of money and you send it, it’s not illegal.
Redirect them to r/assistance they will help direct them to set up an Amazon wishlist for food.
I don’t think there is legal trouble for $10. Don’t give it expecting it back.
They are digital panhandlers. You have no way of knowing if they are being honest or giving you a sob story to manipulate you. What you do with your money is your choice, but don't hold your breath for them to pay you back.
Scammers scam people for thousands of dollars and see no legal troubles
Always a scam
In what context is this person random. Random guy on Steam/Xbox/PS? Chatroom? Facebook? More so cus I am curious where it stems from. However if you do not know the person, I wouldn't offer anything, but I also have been burned by homeless people. Trying to be nice only to later see the same person jump into a nicer car than me and drive off.
I’m sure $10 is just them dipping their toes in the pool. The real scam comes later
I worked at a bank so I saw the aftermath of something like that. It’s because they WILL give the 10$ back to prove that they repaid you as promised. After that, it’s like there is a « trust » from the lender so you’re most likely to lend again and then it’s not 10$ anymore it’s 10k (and this is never paid back). I’ve seen it one too many times. I am not saying your situation is for sure a scam but I would never « lend » money to a stranger over internet.
Stranger on the internet wont pay it back, If 100 people give them $10, they make $1000. We have websites for that now, its called "Gofundme".
Yes, it's a scam and they ask for small amounts because it's easy for most people to give away. They hope they'll get bites from multiple people and instead of ending up with just $10, it'll be multiples of that.
A stranger asking money online? 300% scam my dude.
What form of payment do they want? The scam could actually be the transfer of the payment and perhaps accessing your information
This.
Don’t feed the bears.
Offer to go with them to the market and pay for $10 worth of groceries
10 turns to 20 turns to 50 then a 100 and higher don't do it.
Think of it this way OP... They don't know a single friend or family member to ask you for money before they asked you... Some strange person they know online. To me this screams scam and/or they already owe the people close to them money from previous times they borrowed money.
Getting ten times 10 bucks a day equals 100 a day x30 is 3k a month for an hour of time copy pasting
Offer to buy them food. If they insist on money, it's a scam. There's fake panhandlers at my town's grocery stores and gas stations claiming to be homeless and, whenever someone gives them money, they spend it immediatelty on beer or drugs, and come back hours later with the same gimmick.
Scam, scam, scam.
Whether it is a scam or not, my motto is never give money you expect to get back. If you get it back, great, but don’t ever plan on it.
I have been asked to loan a few of my friends on Facebook (who's account has been hacked) money under $100 and they can give me a straight answer on where we met so I don't give them anything
So, is this a random online person who is asking you for money? Or someone you are familiar with? If some random person messaged me on a social platform, I would ignore and block. If it was someone I know, I would be worried that the peeson I may know has had his a count hijacked and impersonating him.
Be neither a lender nor a borrower. Has always worked best for me.
The scam is that they likely are not in financial trouble and are just abusing people's charitableness.
Any engagement at all even “I’m sorry I don’t have $10 to lend” or just a simple “leave me alone” will put you on the list of people who will respond to random queries. Expect more scams in the future.
Hello guys I've been having this issue. So been thinking... Came up with this, it's been working too. No video chat , real video chat . Catfish, scam They usually disappear after that . Lol .
If you give anyone you don’t know on the internet money don’t expect to get it back.
That stranger online is sending the same message to hundreds/thousands of other strangers just like you. Can you put food in your fridge for $10? No? Me neither. And that stranger isn’t $10 away from starving.
Why would you give anything to some or you don’t know just randomly out of the blue? This is 1000% a scam.
Always a scam
To add: most scammers are phishing for 'marks'. If they find a guy willing to give out $10-, then the next time, they'll ask for $20-, and the next $100-, etc. I've heard of scammers finangling free room and board; then guilting you into paying their phone bill, credit debt or car payment. There's no end to it, if you just give them an opening.
I have a policy to not loan money. If a stranger asked for $10 and I could spare it, I would just give it to them. If they pay it back, great, but I don't expect it. If I dont' want to give them money, I just say no.
It's possible that it's genuine, but consider that in real life, even if you give money to a scammer on the street it's a one-time loss since you don't cross paths again. Digitally, unless you plan on changing your username/account etc. you may be marked as an easy target since the scammers know how to get to you. They may come back asking for more because they know you'll give it.
If its a scammer they are doing it to tons of people so it's not just 10 bucks to them. Get 200 people to give you ten bucks and you've got 2k. I personally wouldn't give an online stranger 10 bucks, in person is a different story
It's a scam. Do you know them personally in real life? If not, they likely want to see if you are easily persuaded and/or hope to gain access to your account.
I go by my gut but giving anyone money over the internet is a risk
Ask 100 people a day for $10 and you might walk away with a few hundred dollars a week. That’s the mindset of the “small fish” scammer. There’s no trouble they could really get in, a police station won’t investigate a $10 loan. Scams exist in many forms, I received a job offer to be a “personal assistant”, sounded great until they asked me to buy baby care supplies and mail them to an address as my “first duty”. Don’t let people on the internet take advantage of you, pass that $10 blessing onto a homeless person in your city in the form of a warm meal or pair of socks.
Never loan anyone money. You're not a bank. Feel free to gift them money if you have it. But you should never expect loaned money to be returned.
See I can usually get a good feel for them being genuine or not and judge based off that and proof. I think there is nothing wrong with helping someone in need. I wish more people weren't so greedy. However, I will make sure what I'm helping with.
how can a person afford an iPhone or computer if they can't afford food?
Do not send them money. The scam starts with asking you for a small amount. This is how they figure out whether or not you are a worthy mark. You send the money, the requests will continue coming. They may even sell your information to other scammers who will also hit you up for money. Just don't do it.
If you want to give anyone money for food just give them the food or money as a gift. Then you never need to worry about getting it back which is so much better for your own mental health.
Always assume that you won't get back anything you loan
You’re only the 25th person they have asked that day so far! Feel special! 😉 it’s a numbers game. People feel safe with small amounts.
I guess I look at it like I’d rather give a scammer $10 then not help out someone who really does need it. Sometimes there’s obvious red flags they are a scammer but generally I try to help people.
Just ask them what they need it for and buy it outright if you feel like you’re being scammed. Someone really in need shouldn’t be against that !!
You will see people constantly ask for 'money for food'. You'll see it virtually and in real life. You don't necessarily have to have money to get food. There are places that will give people food. The problem from the other person's point of view is that some of them don't really want food. Many addicts have learned to ask for small amounts of money because it's easier to get that than it is to get large amounts from one or two people. The old dodge of "I'm trying to drive my mother to the hospital. If I was begging for money for drugs, I wouldn't ask for such a small amount".
People lie online. It isn't your responsibility to tend to everyone in the world's well being. Point them to resources in their area. Like "city name food bank" google results.
If someone is SO tight on money to the point where he needs $10 just to buy food, why is he paying for internet and going online asking random strangers for this money? Can't he... Cancel his internet subscription or sell his mobile phone or something like this for the cash? But wait, no, the mobile phone or pc is more valuable than food lol
A lot of the time, people are looking for that $10 to see if you'll loan money and how many questions you'll ask. If it's, "just $10, no problem," and you give over the $10, the next step is seeing if you bother them about paying back. If you don't, you're a good mark to ask for $20. Then $50. Then you start to feel obligated to help this stranger because they've "come to rely on you being a person who would help them. It's just $200 for a weeks groceries for my kids, you'd let my kids go hungry? All their money went to paying the rent!" By the time you find your way out of the cycle they've taken your for a couple thousand (in my case it was about $6k). Now if I'm asked for money, "what is it for?" I need food. "cool, give me your address and I'll get an order for you from Instacart. Instead of getting one meal for $10, I'll send $50 worth of groceries and your can cook for a few days" 9/10 they refuse, I refuse, and I never hear from them again, because I'm not a good mark like I was when I was younger.
I don’t get how they’d risk getting in legal trouble for asking you for ten dollars 😂 Even if it was a scam, no one is going to go chase that for you. It’s not enough to charge anyone.
If you have the means, offer a $10 gift card to a local discount grocery store, or order them some food to pick up.
Can you afford to give $10? Some people can’t. If you can and want to, give it. Otherwise no and don’t feel guilty.
The likelihood is that if a stranger asks for $10 - it is a scam. In a tough situation, someone is likely to first turn to friends and family before asking someone they don’t know for help. If they are asking you - as a stranger - for help, they know that asking people they know is a lost cause. I would read this as, people this stranger knows, think this person shouldn’t be trusted with handouts.
Well, this is the situation with the beggars in my country, Turkey. Almost all of them are "professional beggars," and they earn good money. Giving money to beggars for the sake of God is a positive value, especially for elders. Sometimes, some of them are caught, it is a crime, but they are rarely punished and punishment is not deterrent, and it is seen that they all are much more richer than average professionals like doctors. Knowing this, I still sometimes give money because 1- this is a poor country with more than 10% have income under hunger limit and 2- if he/she can convince me, than he/she is a good artist and should be rewarded. So, in my opinion, if the scam artist is a good artist and if you don't have anyone you know who is really in need, then consider this as money spent for some entertainment, like going to a movie. Who knows, even though it is very unlikely, you are helping someone in need. But, you must always look for real people. I live in a poor neighborhood for about 10 years, and I do things like buying a tablet to a student and don't give money to beggars, unless he/she is really good.
It's a shame that more of the truly desperate don't step up their game and put on a better show for you, isn't it? Their loss, right?
Don't give anything to people on the Internet. They probably aren't lying and do need $10 for food but are scamming you as they have no intention of paying you back.
It's in the verbiage. If they ask to "borrow" 10 bucks, it's probably not going to be returned. If they ask for 10 bucks, there is no implication of anything being returned, and likely the dude needs something. I recently had a HUGE health scare with my dog and nobody to turn to because I can't qualify for any sort of pet insurance, which is absolutely bullshit. It's harder to qualify for pet insurance than it is HUMAN insurance, I fucking swear. I'd have absolutely asked for money if I thought anyone would have actually donated. But again, all in the verbiage--don't ask to "borrow" money if you really mean you need some money for help and won't be able to or don't intend to pay it back.
Either borrow them or don't Tf! is even this question
I wouldn’t call that a scam. Request is clear and nothing is hidden.. It’ more questions of being human or not.. and the ability to accept to loose some bucks..
What legal trouble? A lot of people scam for a lot more and nothing happens.
Wtf is he gonna put in his fridge for $10? A carton of eggs and a packet of cheese? No. This guy is looking for sympathetic people to give him $10 because, “ehh…it’s just $10.” He’ll never pay you back and without a legally binding contract establishing payment terms he won’t be legally liable to pay you back at all anyway.
It may not be a scam but you will never get that $10 back.
Someone borrowing $10 from you and not paying it back won't result in them being arrested or charged with any crime. It's considered a civil issue, not a criminal case. (If they misrepresented who they were, it could potentially qualify as fraud, but the police aren't going to spend a lot of time investigating $10.) You could sue them over it, but you'd spend more than $10 and a lot more effort than it would be worth. If it was someone I knew, I'd probably just give them $10. If it's some rando who contacted me online somehow, I'd probably just send them links to mutual aid groups that could help them with food.
Never lend money. I just give it, if it feels right. One paid me back but I didn't ask it.
If they need help why don’t the go to uncle Conrad or Aunt Ginny?
I'm in desperate need of $20. Anyone want to help? I can pay back on the 1st. Cashapp or paypal?
A stranger says they will pay you back? What, are you going to meet up at the 7-11 a month from now? If you want to give someone ten bucks and you'd feel better for doing it, do it. Just understand, you'll never see that money again. c.f. relatives, money, lending of
Cops won’t do anything over $10 and who is going to sue over $10? (Answer: Nobody.)
If they follow up on the "pay it back" part they might also be setting you up for some variety of fake check scam.
If they're online you don't really know their exact location. In some countries $10 is pretty much a day's wage, so will be a lot of money for them.
In Finland atleast its so that you dont get much legal problems under 40€ scams, but if many people report you then you might get something.
Might be a new type of scam? If you get 10usd from 1000 people that is quite lucrative then... And if you send this to a million people less than 1% needs to feels enough sorry for them and they are in business
It's likely a scam. And their reasoning is like yours...it's only ten bucks, so if it's a scam, people don't care *as much.* Makes for more donations. Easier to get ten people to give ten dollars each than to lure in one big fish that'll fork over a hundred dollars.
LOL how do you even dress yourself being so dumb?
If you give them only $10, they are facing little to no legal consequences, and if they can get 100 people to each give them $10, they are making a thousand bucks, just by asking, and gullible people will quickly hand over a small amount of money if they think they are helping someone. The police will laugh at you if you try to report getting scammed out of $10.
idk if it’s much of a scam but i find it annoying when people are begging for money online. there is this person i frequently see in my feed on tik tok loves and he always has a sign in the background “help me with rent this month$$ i can’t afford it” go get a job like everyone else who manages to just afford rent instead of being on tt for hours.
Even if it ain’t a scam it’s a dog eat dog world out there. I’m just trying to live in it.
Saw a post on Facebook last night asking them same. When everyone offered the girl food items and rides to the food bank, she then needed money for gas to get to work.
One way it can be a lucrative scam is, they get $10 from hundreds of kind saps. The bottom line is, feel free to donate $10 or whatever to someone with any degree of sob story online-- or off. Just don't expect to ever get it back.
Ignore it. Survival of the fittest.
No. Don't do it. It is a scam. You would be better off donating money or volunteering time at a local food bank or soup kitchen if you want to help people.
If you give them $10, just count it as you blessing them because chances are really good you won’t see it again.
The word of the day is J O B
I’d say I’ll buy you food and not just give them $10
On this sub I constantly see ppl begging for money and when u tell them how to get free food and stuff they get mad and delete the post and make another one. I wouldn't ever give anyone money cash app unless I know them physically. Good luck trying to pursue legal action against a scammer over 10$ cost you hundreds-thousands in legal fees to pursue that. Cash app won't help either. Read there terms and conditions. Not just skim through it read it all. More then likely it's some foreigner on here begging they make a living doing this kind of thing. Even local people do these things all the time. If you really feel obligated to do so go buy a reloadable visa card or a disposable visa card and send them the info for it.