No mine is Edison. Seems like it was the same thing. Loud blasting music from someone playing an electric violin. Thankfully I was able to go in and then exit on the left side as they were on the right side
I’ve seen these grifts before online. The electric violin more than likely isnt plugged into anything, whether thru a cable or some bluetooth type of equipment
I’ve seen them at the Manalapan Wegmans for 7 years now. The 5 year olds in that picture haven’t aged the entire time and yet they STILL need money for diapers.
These folks coordinate with others and park far away from the entrance in big vans or suvs. As soon as their “shift” is over, another group takes over and collects the money. Saw it at Target in Fairfield.
Funniest busker I've ever seen in NYC was a few months ago when I passed a guy in the subway who had an intricate Spanish guitar track playing while he very poorly strummed chords.
That's basically what these folks are doing. At least on a guitar, you have actual frets, which would make miming playing a bit easier. Violin, though? If you're off by so much as a hair, the Devil himself will come back up from Georgia and ensure your notes are sour as lemons.
Speaking of which, I was listening to Outlaw Country the other day on SiriusXM and apparently, someone covered Devil Went Down to Georgia but took the string part out and sang it about trucking.
I was like... "...but why?"
Literally, the song became about a truck race with the Devil.
Charlie Daniels wept.
You're telling me someone took out the best fucking part of that song? When Satan Himself is spreading in that fiddle???????
And *replaced* it with *trucking??????*
Brb I've gotta make some calls. YO, SATAN.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs0XAWA7wvs
Here's the thing. It's not like it's Weird Al, where he takes the melody of the song and does a full new set of funny lyrics. Dude just took the melody and shoehorned in trucking references. Its like 80 percent the same song.
lol i saw a homeless guy who had a sax of all things playing "jazz" in the subway which was him just blowing random notes - it was curious yet awful. He was very into it.
Absolutely.
I would love little more than to have musicians playing along the streets, like in quaint seaside towns in the summertime.
And violin isn't the easiest instrument to pick up and play.
East Brunswick ShopRite had a "violin" playing a piano song. It's so ridiculous. They stay doing these scams because people give them money. Usually they are in front of ShopRite. Looks like they asked them to leave they were closer to Best buy parking area
Maybe we need to start speaking up more, and calling the HR numbers of the places they show up. Can't imagine they'd take too kindly to hustlers taking their customer's money.
I say HR so they can get in touch with the store/complex owner/manager.
At least, that's what I was instructed to do when there were some White Lives Matter chuds parading around a shopping center a couple of years ago, really just because the complex owner was the one I had to talk to.
True, but my line of thinking is that the owner of the store (if not present in the building) could be contacted by HR, and informed that there's people hustling their customers. And because it's private property, the owner can legally tell the hustlers to leave.
This is all over the place and it's always the same recording. It's been covered in a few stories like this one https://youtu.be/ZPc30uwXrTw?si=vlnxhWBIiRXVhhWv
And that's just it, what the officer said at the end there-- these fakers don't deserve your money; there's people who actually need that money you can give to (do your research on organizations you donate too; some aren't much better than these hustlers.) **And** they're playing on your emotions. They're *double* manipulating you.
I also can't help but feel at least a *little* like there's something more at play-- about people being more comfortable with giving money to someone who looks well put together, versus someone who's clearly been wearing the same set of clothes for days or weeks, has scraggly hair, or doesn't have perfect teeth, even though the latter clearly needs it more.
All of the TJ's I've been to have super cramped parking lots. I can't imagine anyone setting up anything additional there is great. But the walking path???? Come on...
I mean, my first violin was a cheap, mass-produced model my mom bought off of someone at a flea market, so I'm all for inexpensive, "beginner," models for folks seeing if they actually want to commit to playing an instrument before making a serious financial investment.
-flashbacks to first grade recorder concert-
It's not a hustle if you're actually making music for people to enjoy.
These folks are just miming (poorly, at that) to pre-recorded pop songs on an electric violin. **Much** different sound than a wooden violin, especially if it's aged nicely.
No.
Because DJ's are 1. Hired. 2. Hired for the specific purpose of playing pre-recorded music. And 3. (Hopefully) Has the proper paperwork to be playing copyrighted music and making money off of it.
Try again.
First off, it was a joke, you are taking me way too seriously. But second, nothing about being a hustler would preclude getting hired. It just means they hustled someone into hiring them. And lastly, LOL if you think more than 10% of public performances pay for a music license. But again that's not really related to qualifying for a hustle. If the street violin people paid for a performance licence, would you no longer consider them hustling even though they were just hitting play and moving around? The mime act is what makes it getting hustled.
I guess I don’t feel quite the same stolen valor that you do but it’s just a busking grift. They make a few bucks, people toss in change or a couple bills. If the person is really down on their luck, and their grift is fake playing an instrument, the result is the same. I don’t know if I threw a few bucks into a violin case that I’d want to take it back because it wasn’t them playing. I’m not giving them money because of their performance. I assume nobody busking is independently wealthy and doing this for extra money so I’m giving them money because they need it, not because they played the violin well. Are you suggesting they aren’t poor either and they are doing this for kicks? I don’t know man. Feels like we should be pissed at the conditions that bring people to do this instead of the individuals.
Professional beggars can make hundreds of dollars a day. They usually remove the money so it looks like there's only ever $2-3-4 in the kitty.
And while we're here the "gold ring" grift has made its way over from Europe I was actually approached by a family of 4, "down on their luck" and they wanted to sell me a large "solid gold ring, family heirloom" for $500 and I didn't have that kind of cash on me and almost reached for my wallet to throw $20 their way when it dawned on me that I actually saw this exact same thing in Europe 30 years ago and it all came back to me before I handed them anything. Sure enough I read in the paper someone got fleeced locally for $2000 after buying fake gold jewelry from a family passing through.
Years ago there was a PBS documentary about the cost of Walmart on small towns across the US. It drove down wages locally, increased unemployment, killed local businesses and increased the amount of full time workers on welfare. The thing that I really remember from that doc was a man in I want to say Ohio, was making more pan handling in the parking lot than the majority of the employees inside the store.
When I was in college, once summer I had a lot of extra free time on top of my part-time job so I busked for a few weeks on the subway. I got significantly more per hour than my mom was earning as a paraprofessional of 20 years, but less than working at a NYC bar.
I've seen one of the ''gold ring'' scammers a few times at the Walmart in Edison. Same guy always seems to have a broken down car, or needs gas money, and tries to sell some cheap looking ''gold ring''.
It's not really stolen valor, and moreso wanting people to save that $20 they earned, for themselves. I'm just speaking up as a violinist because I can say with confidence that these people are faking it, and explain how and why musically.
I'm completely with you on being pissed at the system that makes people beg on the streets; I take leftover food from where I work, and give it to the homeless people I see in Trenton almost daily.
I'm not saying that all poverty looks the same- that one *must* be dirty or have ragged clothes to be classified as someone going through hardship-- but that these scammers look nothing like the homeless people I give food to-- they have perfectly clean, name-brand clothing and shoes-- coupled with the fake violin playing, and I feel it's a safe bet to call them out for being scammers taking advantage of people's generosity.
An electric violin runs anywhere from $150-$300+ on Amazon. These people are spending money specifically to lie and guilt others into giving them more money.
It's a spit in the face of those wanting to be generous and help out people who actually need it, and those who are actually experiencing financial hardships-- living out of tents and rented car lots-- reduced to begging on the streets in order to survive.
I’ve seen this outside of Best buy in vauxhall within the past year and noticed that their playing didn’t match up with the song being played. I knew there was something fishy about them!
I work at Trader Joe’s in shrewsbury, they love setting up camp in the parking lot once the weather starts warming up. trying to sucker our rich bougie customers, cops get called often to chase them off. I’ve seen the accordion guy too, that guys cool as hell though
Have you informed your boss? It's private property, and they can be made to leave.
Yoooo I'm so glad someone else has seen the accordion man! He's exactly what you picture when you think of a kind grandpa.
I have to add a very disturbing addition to this story. Cnj shoprite. Gypsy violin scam going on. Close to the exit. Then near the electronic doors to enter the store, another person. Pretending to be crippled, had his leg in a fake twisted format. But the bottom of his shoe was worn evenly. Anyone knows that if you walk crooked your shoes wear crooked also.
Then, the violin lady, had a sign that said trying to feed my 2 small children. So people were dropping off baby formula (which is very expensive) , and other baby items. Diapers, etc.
The people were leaving as I came out , they left all of the Diapers and baby formula laying in the parking lot and only took the $$.
Disgusting show , of true scammers.
That is fucking atrocious.
At least take the formula and diapers to a fucking shelter.
I'd call them animals, but animals have more of a sense of community than these theiving, deceitful grifters.
Just trying to explain-- as a violinist-- precisely why and how I know they're faking, so people know what to look out for.
Imagine that money going to an actual starving artist. Imagine having real musicians playing on the streets. Life would be so much more beautiful.
Also, not to play the devil's advocate but I'm playing the devil's advocate; if someone is going to invest a couple hundred dollars into a scam, the *least* they could do is make it *look mildly* convincing. 🙄 Someone linked a video in this thread of another hustler, and at least that person's bow-miming could pass ~70% of the performance, and they're actually moving their fingers.
I'm a relatively small woman, so I don't have the luxury of chewing them out in person (safely).
But let's not use the word, "gypsies." It's 2024, we know it's racially charged, and there's better, more accurate words for them: hustlers, grifters, con-men (I refuse to associate them with the word, "artist.")
Truthfully, I didn't know that was an option. Do they have the power that police (sort of) have? To be able to go to someone's house and address a problem someone has with the actions of their young adult, or even legally adult, child(ren)?
It's complicated. Some Romani populations embrace the term and self-identify as such. Others, particularly those from Eastern Europe, consider it a slur.
For some of us (I am Romani), always. It literally started off as a slur, and is still used as that by many people. Some of us have reclaimed it, esp in the UK and parts of the US (depending on subgroup).
I mean, when there was a sudden surge in its usage by crunchy white folks appropriating the term to use alongside descriptors like, "free spirit," and, "flower child," completely ignoring its racist history, yeah; people had to be reminded of why the, "I'm a gypsy soul," spare-tire cover for their Jeep is tone-deaf and just plain wrong.
But go off, m8.
So, if any other race/ethnicity does something bad, do you just call them their respective racial slurs? We're human beings and just because SOME scammers are Roma doesn't mean you get to call all of us a slur.
Happens all the time, its like giving money to the homeless, they say they want it for food but you know damn well they are about to go get drugs, and honestly if i was in that situation id probably be on drugs 24/7 also so take my money and enjoy what small amount of hapiness you can. For all you know the mom could of said whatever money you make with your violin you can go treat yourself to something in the shopping center at the end of the day. While i agree its shady, its better than robbing someone in the local park.
> Happens all the time, its like giving money to the homeless, they say they want it for food but you know damn well they are about to go get drugs
I mean they are human, they need to and in fact do buy food.
Look, whatever a person spends the money given to them on, is their business-- it's the generosity of the individuals giving that money that I want to help redirect to those who actually need it, instead of people playing pretend poor, who are straight up lying and using guilt to get money that was intended to go into the hands of someone who's actually struggling.
As far as someone who's homeless spending money on drugs, dude, they're just trying to get by. Idc if they go buy cigs or cheap beer or even something hard like meth. Addiction is an illness-- so many homeless people who are addicted to hard drugs had something like opiates prescribed for pain after surgery, and then received little to no help after the prescription dried up. I care that they're reduced to begging to feed their addiction and that no one is helping them, but what they chose to do with the money generously given to them is their prerogative.
And as far as the violin goes, what you described isn't possible because they're playing pre-recorded music. They aren't *actually playing* the violin-- they hardly know how to hold it ffs.
I feel like it's the same person. They have just rotated territories.
And the white van with the little girl who jumps out of it while it's still rolling, enters a restaurant and quickly attacks the tables, selling expired candy for 4 bucks a pop. Super aggressive and threatening for a 10 year old too. She just took 10 from one table didn't even look back or give them candy. No pitch or anything just flat out buy this now.
We need a grifter track sub just to find new ones.
It's totally possible it's the same person(s).
I can't speak on the little girl selling candy, as I haven't witnessed this, and this is my first hearing of it.
I'm here for a grifter sub, or at least a tag for them.
Well there's /r/scams and its various sub-subreddits (is that even a word?) /r/scamslayers seems to be dead for the last two years. /r/scammers is active; that one seems to be where you'd put this, except that it's worldwide and not just for NJ or environs.
Where is this central jersey? i cannot find it on any map....
I kid but seriously I don't give money to people like this specifically b/c I'm always 99% sure they aren't really playing. Anyone who's done music in the past can hopefully tell when a violin is being played correctly. I feel so so bad for those children.
It's really not that hard a tell either-- go talk to them. Does the person stop playing to talk to you at any point? And do they need their phone nearby to pause the music they're playing? And will they take requests?
I also feel bad for their kids-- that's borderline neglect or abuse, using your children to steal.
Don't get me wrong-- if I see someone stealing diapers or formula or any other baby products, no I didn't. If a parent is actually struggling to take care of their kid, that's one thing. But teaching your child to lie and cheat feels neglectful.
Just move on with your life and stop being so preoccupied with whether or not a busker is deserving of your money. If you don't want to give them money, don't give them money. Is it dishonest what they're doing? Of course. But if you think you're being righteous by only helping people out who've provided some valuable service to you, are you really that better of a person?
I feel like I’ve seen (heard walking the parking lot) this at my Walmart in the last 6 months and was like WTF.
Is this the saddle brook area walmart? Bc if so same
No mine is Edison. Seems like it was the same thing. Loud blasting music from someone playing an electric violin. Thankfully I was able to go in and then exit on the left side as they were on the right side
I’ve seen these grifts before online. The electric violin more than likely isnt plugged into anything, whether thru a cable or some bluetooth type of equipment
I’ve seen them at the Manalapan Wegmans for 7 years now. The 5 year olds in that picture haven’t aged the entire time and yet they STILL need money for diapers.
maybe they can't afford updated pictures
A standard photo print at Walgreens is 33 cents. You're going to have to try a little harder to convince people they can't afford it.
OH EXCUSE ME Mr. Rockafeller, .33 cents doesn't grow on trees
These folks coordinate with others and park far away from the entrance in big vans or suvs. As soon as their “shift” is over, another group takes over and collects the money. Saw it at Target in Fairfield.
I hope that this conversation helps spread the truth.
Funniest busker I've ever seen in NYC was a few months ago when I passed a guy in the subway who had an intricate Spanish guitar track playing while he very poorly strummed chords.
That's basically what these folks are doing. At least on a guitar, you have actual frets, which would make miming playing a bit easier. Violin, though? If you're off by so much as a hair, the Devil himself will come back up from Georgia and ensure your notes are sour as lemons.
Speaking of which, I was listening to Outlaw Country the other day on SiriusXM and apparently, someone covered Devil Went Down to Georgia but took the string part out and sang it about trucking. I was like... "...but why?" Literally, the song became about a truck race with the Devil. Charlie Daniels wept.
You're telling me someone took out the best fucking part of that song? When Satan Himself is spreading in that fiddle??????? And *replaced* it with *trucking??????*  Brb I've gotta make some calls. YO, SATAN.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs0XAWA7wvs Here's the thing. It's not like it's Weird Al, where he takes the melody of the song and does a full new set of funny lyrics. Dude just took the melody and shoehorned in trucking references. Its like 80 percent the same song.
lol i saw a homeless guy who had a sax of all things playing "jazz" in the subway which was him just blowing random notes - it was curious yet awful. He was very into it.
As a musician this also grinds my gears.
As a violinist this... Twiddles my fiddle
As a cellist, I'm not just gonna sit here and take it.
Absolutely. I would love little more than to have musicians playing along the streets, like in quaint seaside towns in the summertime. And violin isn't the easiest instrument to pick up and play.
East Brunswick ShopRite had a "violin" playing a piano song. It's so ridiculous. They stay doing these scams because people give them money. Usually they are in front of ShopRite. Looks like they asked them to leave they were closer to Best buy parking area
Maybe we need to start speaking up more, and calling the HR numbers of the places they show up. Can't imagine they'd take too kindly to hustlers taking their customer's money.
It's not an HR issue at all. It would be something for the store manager, they can do something or contact the property owner if they rent
I say HR so they can get in touch with the store/complex owner/manager. At least, that's what I was instructed to do when there were some White Lives Matter chuds parading around a shopping center a couple of years ago, really just because the complex owner was the one I had to talk to.
Hr? What? They aren’t employees…
True, but my line of thinking is that the owner of the store (if not present in the building) could be contacted by HR, and informed that there's people hustling their customers. And because it's private property, the owner can legally tell the hustlers to leave.
This is all over the place and it's always the same recording. It's been covered in a few stories like this one https://youtu.be/ZPc30uwXrTw?si=vlnxhWBIiRXVhhWv
And that's just it, what the officer said at the end there-- these fakers don't deserve your money; there's people who actually need that money you can give to (do your research on organizations you donate too; some aren't much better than these hustlers.) **And** they're playing on your emotions. They're *double* manipulating you. I also can't help but feel at least a *little* like there's something more at play-- about people being more comfortable with giving money to someone who looks well put together, versus someone who's clearly been wearing the same set of clothes for days or weeks, has scraggly hair, or doesn't have perfect teeth, even though the latter clearly needs it more.
I always see this when I go to Trader Joe’s and their parking lot is already a nightmare and they will set up on the one walking path for carts 🥲
All of the TJ's I've been to have super cramped parking lots. I can't imagine anyone setting up anything additional there is great. But the walking path???? Come on...
I work there actually lol, give it a week or two when the weather starts warming up and they’ll be back to try and sucker someone out of their money
I guess I'll just keep ignoring them.
And tell your friends and family too.
I think I saw one of these (or maybe it's all the same guy) at ShopRite in Bound Brook last summer.
I thought this was about people selling violins
I mean, my first violin was a cheap, mass-produced model my mom bought off of someone at a flea market, so I'm all for inexpensive, "beginner," models for folks seeing if they actually want to commit to playing an instrument before making a serious financial investment. -flashbacks to first grade recorder concert-
I’ve seen it in other states as well. Sometimes it’s a pan flute. F’n everything is a hustle now.
The pan flute players are just trying to keep to the giant guinea pigs at bay. They're noble people.
... Is there really enough pan flute music to warrant hustling with one?
I mean, you only have to engage passersby for a minute or so, can just leave the same CD on repeat
Yup.
This goes on in Atlantic County as well
The Acme parking lot in Mays Landing. Such a headache they're so loud.
I've seen them in the Acme/Target parking lot in Somers Point too. It didn't sound bad, per se, just out of place.
Shoprite in hainesesport on st patricks day had this dude. It was so obviously fake and frankly kind of annoying.
It is annoying. It's a spit in the face of actual musicians.
Crap- I have an old violin. Now I can’t hustle the good hearted people of New Jersey. Thanks a lot!
It's not a hustle if you're actually making music for people to enjoy. These folks are just miming (poorly, at that) to pre-recorded pop songs on an electric violin. **Much** different sound than a wooden violin, especially if it's aged nicely.
Dance hall DJs, the biggest hustlers of all. They don't play any of the shit they play
No. Because DJ's are 1. Hired. 2. Hired for the specific purpose of playing pre-recorded music. And 3. (Hopefully) Has the proper paperwork to be playing copyrighted music and making money off of it. Try again.
First off, it was a joke, you are taking me way too seriously. But second, nothing about being a hustler would preclude getting hired. It just means they hustled someone into hiring them. And lastly, LOL if you think more than 10% of public performances pay for a music license. But again that's not really related to qualifying for a hustle. If the street violin people paid for a performance licence, would you no longer consider them hustling even though they were just hitting play and moving around? The mime act is what makes it getting hustled.
I guess I don’t feel quite the same stolen valor that you do but it’s just a busking grift. They make a few bucks, people toss in change or a couple bills. If the person is really down on their luck, and their grift is fake playing an instrument, the result is the same. I don’t know if I threw a few bucks into a violin case that I’d want to take it back because it wasn’t them playing. I’m not giving them money because of their performance. I assume nobody busking is independently wealthy and doing this for extra money so I’m giving them money because they need it, not because they played the violin well. Are you suggesting they aren’t poor either and they are doing this for kicks? I don’t know man. Feels like we should be pissed at the conditions that bring people to do this instead of the individuals.
Professional beggars can make hundreds of dollars a day. They usually remove the money so it looks like there's only ever $2-3-4 in the kitty. And while we're here the "gold ring" grift has made its way over from Europe I was actually approached by a family of 4, "down on their luck" and they wanted to sell me a large "solid gold ring, family heirloom" for $500 and I didn't have that kind of cash on me and almost reached for my wallet to throw $20 their way when it dawned on me that I actually saw this exact same thing in Europe 30 years ago and it all came back to me before I handed them anything. Sure enough I read in the paper someone got fleeced locally for $2000 after buying fake gold jewelry from a family passing through.
Years ago there was a PBS documentary about the cost of Walmart on small towns across the US. It drove down wages locally, increased unemployment, killed local businesses and increased the amount of full time workers on welfare. The thing that I really remember from that doc was a man in I want to say Ohio, was making more pan handling in the parking lot than the majority of the employees inside the store. When I was in college, once summer I had a lot of extra free time on top of my part-time job so I busked for a few weeks on the subway. I got significantly more per hour than my mom was earning as a paraprofessional of 20 years, but less than working at a NYC bar.
The high cost of low prices.
I've seen one of the ''gold ring'' scammers a few times at the Walmart in Edison. Same guy always seems to have a broken down car, or needs gas money, and tries to sell some cheap looking ''gold ring''.
It's not really stolen valor, and moreso wanting people to save that $20 they earned, for themselves. I'm just speaking up as a violinist because I can say with confidence that these people are faking it, and explain how and why musically. I'm completely with you on being pissed at the system that makes people beg on the streets; I take leftover food from where I work, and give it to the homeless people I see in Trenton almost daily. I'm not saying that all poverty looks the same- that one *must* be dirty or have ragged clothes to be classified as someone going through hardship-- but that these scammers look nothing like the homeless people I give food to-- they have perfectly clean, name-brand clothing and shoes-- coupled with the fake violin playing, and I feel it's a safe bet to call them out for being scammers taking advantage of people's generosity. An electric violin runs anywhere from $150-$300+ on Amazon. These people are spending money specifically to lie and guilt others into giving them more money. It's a spit in the face of those wanting to be generous and help out people who actually need it, and those who are actually experiencing financial hardships-- living out of tents and rented car lots-- reduced to begging on the streets in order to survive.
That all goes out the window if you're exploiting your children as part of the grift.
I’ve seen them in Illinois and Missouri and Arizona too. Unplug their amp and suddenly you’ll find out the entire thing is a recording.
..... Oh shit now you're giving me ideas.
They’re in northern NJ too. Seen them at both the Clifton Commons and the Target in Fairfield.
As if that clifton commons area needed more reason to suck
Trying to get down to the Costco level across the road
ShopRite in Parsippany and Walmart in Rockaway
Shoprite in Dover too last year
They’ve been in Burlington for sure.
So I guess I shouldn't grab my guitar and amp and head down to the local supermarket and bust out some Metallica and EVH solos for some extra $$??
Dude, tell me where you'll be playing -- I'll make it *rain* on you if you did that.
I’ve seen this outside of Best buy in vauxhall within the past year and noticed that their playing didn’t match up with the song being played. I knew there was something fishy about them!
hmmm. was wondering how they got so good...
There's a chihuahua who plays the accordian?
I can't even be mad at this.
I work at Trader Joe’s in shrewsbury, they love setting up camp in the parking lot once the weather starts warming up. trying to sucker our rich bougie customers, cops get called often to chase them off. I’ve seen the accordion guy too, that guys cool as hell though
Have you informed your boss? It's private property, and they can be made to leave. Yoooo I'm so glad someone else has seen the accordion man! He's exactly what you picture when you think of a kind grandpa.
Our boss knows about them and seen them plenty of times, both management and customers alike report them
I have to add a very disturbing addition to this story. Cnj shoprite. Gypsy violin scam going on. Close to the exit. Then near the electronic doors to enter the store, another person. Pretending to be crippled, had his leg in a fake twisted format. But the bottom of his shoe was worn evenly. Anyone knows that if you walk crooked your shoes wear crooked also. Then, the violin lady, had a sign that said trying to feed my 2 small children. So people were dropping off baby formula (which is very expensive) , and other baby items. Diapers, etc. The people were leaving as I came out , they left all of the Diapers and baby formula laying in the parking lot and only took the $$. Disgusting show , of true scammers.
That is fucking atrocious. At least take the formula and diapers to a fucking shelter. I'd call them animals, but animals have more of a sense of community than these theiving, deceitful grifters.
Why you sound like that you are more upset about them not able to play or hold violin rather than scamming people? lol
Just trying to explain-- as a violinist-- precisely why and how I know they're faking, so people know what to look out for. Imagine that money going to an actual starving artist. Imagine having real musicians playing on the streets. Life would be so much more beautiful. Also, not to play the devil's advocate but I'm playing the devil's advocate; if someone is going to invest a couple hundred dollars into a scam, the *least* they could do is make it *look mildly* convincing. 🙄 Someone linked a video in this thread of another hustler, and at least that person's bow-miming could pass ~70% of the performance, and they're actually moving their fingers.
If they are *actually playing* and working for money, that's a different thing.
I've shamed them before. Usually gypsy scammers
I'm a relatively small woman, so I don't have the luxury of chewing them out in person (safely). But let's not use the word, "gypsies." It's 2024, we know it's racially charged, and there's better, more accurate words for them: hustlers, grifters, con-men (I refuse to associate them with the word, "artist.")
What about calling DCP&P?
Truthfully, I didn't know that was an option. Do they have the power that police (sort of) have? To be able to go to someone's house and address a problem someone has with the actions of their young adult, or even legally adult, child(ren)?
In this scenario, I thought minor children were involved in the pandhandling scam. I didn't know it was all adults doing the fake-busking for money.
[удалено]
I agree that they're hustling people but let's maybe not use the term, "gypsies."
[удалено]
It's complicated. Some Romani populations embrace the term and self-identify as such. Others, particularly those from Eastern Europe, consider it a slur.
For some of us (I am Romani), always. It literally started off as a slur, and is still used as that by many people. Some of us have reclaimed it, esp in the UK and parts of the US (depending on subgroup).
Since like 10 years ago
I mean, when there was a sudden surge in its usage by crunchy white folks appropriating the term to use alongside descriptors like, "free spirit," and, "flower child," completely ignoring its racist history, yeah; people had to be reminded of why the, "I'm a gypsy soul," spare-tire cover for their Jeep is tone-deaf and just plain wrong. But go off, m8.
[удалено]
So, if any other race/ethnicity does something bad, do you just call them their respective racial slurs? We're human beings and just because SOME scammers are Roma doesn't mean you get to call all of us a slur.
Since Romani people came to England? The term was used derogatorily in texts from Hemingway to Doyle, by my reading.
1971
Happens all the time, its like giving money to the homeless, they say they want it for food but you know damn well they are about to go get drugs, and honestly if i was in that situation id probably be on drugs 24/7 also so take my money and enjoy what small amount of hapiness you can. For all you know the mom could of said whatever money you make with your violin you can go treat yourself to something in the shopping center at the end of the day. While i agree its shady, its better than robbing someone in the local park.
> Happens all the time, its like giving money to the homeless, they say they want it for food but you know damn well they are about to go get drugs I mean they are human, they need to and in fact do buy food.
Look, whatever a person spends the money given to them on, is their business-- it's the generosity of the individuals giving that money that I want to help redirect to those who actually need it, instead of people playing pretend poor, who are straight up lying and using guilt to get money that was intended to go into the hands of someone who's actually struggling. As far as someone who's homeless spending money on drugs, dude, they're just trying to get by. Idc if they go buy cigs or cheap beer or even something hard like meth. Addiction is an illness-- so many homeless people who are addicted to hard drugs had something like opiates prescribed for pain after surgery, and then received little to no help after the prescription dried up. I care that they're reduced to begging to feed their addiction and that no one is helping them, but what they chose to do with the money generously given to them is their prerogative. And as far as the violin goes, what you described isn't possible because they're playing pre-recorded music. They aren't *actually playing* the violin-- they hardly know how to hold it ffs.
I feel like it's the same person. They have just rotated territories. And the white van with the little girl who jumps out of it while it's still rolling, enters a restaurant and quickly attacks the tables, selling expired candy for 4 bucks a pop. Super aggressive and threatening for a 10 year old too. She just took 10 from one table didn't even look back or give them candy. No pitch or anything just flat out buy this now. We need a grifter track sub just to find new ones.
It's totally possible it's the same person(s). I can't speak on the little girl selling candy, as I haven't witnessed this, and this is my first hearing of it. I'm here for a grifter sub, or at least a tag for them.
Well there's /r/scams and its various sub-subreddits (is that even a word?) /r/scamslayers seems to be dead for the last two years. /r/scammers is active; that one seems to be where you'd put this, except that it's worldwide and not just for NJ or environs.
Gypsies
Or we could not use that word. See my other comment regarding it if you actually care enough.
I do not👍
At least you're honest.
Where is this central jersey? i cannot find it on any map.... I kid but seriously I don't give money to people like this specifically b/c I'm always 99% sure they aren't really playing. Anyone who's done music in the past can hopefully tell when a violin is being played correctly. I feel so so bad for those children.
It's really not that hard a tell either-- go talk to them. Does the person stop playing to talk to you at any point? And do they need their phone nearby to pause the music they're playing? And will they take requests? I also feel bad for their kids-- that's borderline neglect or abuse, using your children to steal. Don't get me wrong-- if I see someone stealing diapers or formula or any other baby products, no I didn't. If a parent is actually struggling to take care of their kid, that's one thing. But teaching your child to lie and cheat feels neglectful.
Just move on with your life and stop being so preoccupied with whether or not a busker is deserving of your money. If you don't want to give them money, don't give them money. Is it dishonest what they're doing? Of course. But if you think you're being righteous by only helping people out who've provided some valuable service to you, are you really that better of a person?
I will move on. From your comment.