SCAM ALERT: Watch out for guy who will ask if you speak English

[Dirkgun]

On behalf of Milwaukee we apologize for sending this man to SJ :)

When DH first started in law enforcement 20+ years ago he arrested a panhandler who told him he was "bringing down $300/day cash". Disheartening to say the least....

 

 

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There was a story here on the local news where a college student in order to do research for a paper in Humanities or Social Sciences ...? some university class, went and panhandled just off of freeway exits around the Salt Lake area. By the time his week of doing this was done he seriously thought about dropping out school and doing this full time..... There was not a day that he brought in less than $800 cash along with groceries and other meals. And he just held a sign made of cardboard. :eek:

[Chelleum]

Thanks for posting about this con man. I went to San Juan on a land vacation 2 yrs ago. I did not run into this con man. Then again I was with a tour guide. I will be prepare for my future trip to San Juan if i run into him.

[Herfnerd]

Just got back from our Victory cruise last week - didn't see him pre or post cruise....

[don24]

going in a few months and this makes me pause for thought.i had planed on doing a self guided walking tour ending at a fort.should i rethink this or am i being overeactive.i know what my wife will say if she sees this but she wont;).as usual we are arriving kinda late 3pm till 11pm

[Lsimon]

going in a few months and this makes me pause for thought.i had planed on doing a self guided walking tour ending at a fort.should i rethink this or am i being overeactive.i know what my wife will say if she sees this but she wont;).as usual we are arriving kinda late 3pm till 11pm

 

Go ahead with your plans. I think the only purpose of this thread is to alert people to the fact that, should they run into someone presenting this scheme, it is just a street beggar's con and not a true person in need.

 

San Juan is a great place for walking around and enjoying the sights. I've run into this guy myself and it was close to the waterfront pier area mid afternoon. If I were in your position I wouldn't hesitate on going forward with your walking tour.

[UBR_G33K]

We will be there in December. If approached, I'll offer him $10 to have my picture taken with an internet celebrity. Call it an intel investment ;)

[NorbertsNiece]

going in a few months and this makes me pause for thought.i had planed on doing a self guided walking tour ending at a fort.should i rethink this or am i being overeactive.i know what my wife will say if she sees this but she wont;).as usual we are arriving kinda late 3pm till 11pm

 

I walked San Juan a year ago on my own during the day.... no problem at all.

[bouhunter]

going in a few months and this makes me pause for thought.i had planed on doing a self guided walking tour ending at a fort.should i rethink this or am i being overeactive.i know what my wife will say if she sees this but she wont;).as usual we are arriving kinda late 3pm till 11pm

 

Yes you're being overeactive. I've missed this thread before somehow, I'm going upstairs to tell my wife about the guy, she'll get a laugh out of it and probably hope she runs into him next March:D

 

We've visited Old San Juan before and during cruises 4 times and spent a week there on a land vacation. Have walked it extensively MANY times. Sometimes we split up and my wife and daughter go their own way (shopping while I visit a fort or something). Have never worried about them in Old San Juan.

[ILoveScotland]

I'll be in San Juan in 4 weeks and am staying 2 nights in a hotel in Old San Juan post cruise. I'll be with a friend the first day and night and then alone.

 

I've been reading this thread for a while and just want to be sure I understand what I've read which is a) He might be a bit pushy but is not considered dangerous, b) there might be more than one and c) Just ignore him and definitely don't give him money.

 

Do I have it right?

[bouhunter]

I'll be in San Juan in 4 weeks and am staying 2 nights in a hotel in Old San Juan post cruise. I'll be with a friend the first day and night and then alone.

 

I've been reading this thread for a while and just want to be sure I understand what I've read which is a) He might be a bit pushy but is not considered dangerous, b) there might be more than one and c) Just ignore him and definitely don't give him money.

 

Do I have it right?

 

Don't worry, Old San Juan is a safe place. Odds are you won't run into this guy anyway, we've been going there for years and have never seen him. If you do see him, it's up to you whether or not to give him money:D

[ILoveScotland]

Don't worry, Old San Juan is a safe place. Odds are you won't run into this guy anyway, we've been going there for years and have never seen him. If you do see him, it's up to you whether or not to give him money:D

 

Thanks, that's what I'd gathered from reading this thread for several weeks. I'm an older woman but pretty fearless (with necessary precautions) in cities and have been to San Juan once so know a bit about the lay of the land so to speak.

[CHERRYBRANCH]

I'll be in San Juan in 4 weeks and am staying 2 nights in a hotel in Old San Juan post cruise. I'll be with a friend the first day and night and then alone.

 

I've been reading this thread for a while and just want to be sure I understand what I've read which is a) He might be a bit pushy but is not considered dangerous, b) there might be more than one and c) Just ignore him and definitely don't give him money.

 

Do I have it right?

 

I realize that no matter where you travel/live this day and age that you should always be aware of your surroundings which is so, so sad.

However I will admit that I too am a little apprehensive about our trip to San Juan in April after reading some of the previous posts. I don't want to be a "mark" so to speak. Any other issues in regards to safety that we need to be on the lookout for? I love to take pictures, obviously with a camera hanging from my neck is going show that I am a tourist.

[Lsimon]

I realize that no matter where you travel/live this day and age that you should always be aware of your surroundings which is so, so sad.

However I will admit that I too am a little apprehensive about our trip to San Juan in April after reading some of the previous posts. I don't want to be a "mark" so to speak. Any other issues in regards to safety that we need to be on the lookout for? I love to take pictures, obviously with a camera hanging from my neck is going show that I am a tourist.

 

Don't over think or over worry about this. The whole idea of this thread is to alert to this one particular scam.

I have never had, and still don't have, any second thoughts about carrying a camera around Old San Juan and it is a very nice spot for photography.

Edited October 23, 2012 by Lsimon

[srlafleur]

There are plenty of similar scammers all over. Locally, we had a guy (older gentleman, not grungy enough to be off-putting or scary) who regularly went up to cars at a particular intersection asking for spare change for something or other. Watched him get into his car at the end of his "work" day. I think it was a Mercedes.

The local news did some investigative journalism on one of the local "homeless vets" who staked out a spot on the median, looking pitiful. End of day, they filmed him hopping into his nice, new car in a nearby parking lot.

It's sad, really.

[CHERRYBRANCH]

Thanks, I appreciate all of the kind words!

[Dayenu]

How much would it cost to take a photo with him?

 

What, he is a historical figure now! ;)

[Mary Ellen1]

How much would it cost to take a photo with him?

 

What, he is a historical figure now! ;)

 

Yes, I would want to get his picture too!

 

My approach would be like. "WAIT!!! I've heard this one before!!! Is this one of those 'Guy-walks-into-a-bar' jokes? No? Is this the one where your dad got mugged?" And then tell him how famous he is & how much you want his picture...

 

:D

[Nole0202]

If you can find him, tell him the St. Kitts monkey joke.

 

A guy is driving down main street in St. Kitts with a car full of monkeys. A local cop stops him and says "Hey man, you need to take them monkeys to the zoo!"

 

The guy agrees and drives off.

 

The next day, the cop seeing the same guy drive by. Agina with a car full of monkeys, but now they are wearing sun-glasses.

 

The cop says "Hey man, I told you yesterday to tke them monkeys to the zoo were they belong!"

 

The guy repies "I did man, today I'm taking them to the beach!"

[ILoveScotland]

Just returned from two nights in San Juan post cruise. Didn't see this man or if I did, he didn't approach my friend and me.

[debrajean]

Just returned last night from San Juan. My husband and I actually were there on 2 trips because of an airline sale. I had read about this guy and my nephew actually gave him $20 about 4 years ago while he was there with some friends. Told him the same story. Our first trip was just 2 weeks ago and I forgot all about the guy and never thought of him until we got home. We went again last Saturday and never thought about him again. We stayed at the Radisson in Condada and did take the bus to town. Our 2nd night there, we were walking back to our hotel and he approached us. Started out by asking if we spoke english and we said yes and he said oh good, and talked about how he and his dad were down a few blocks in a new development area and they were mugged and his father was beat up pretty bad. I was thinking he was talking about this development area and a time share or something so wasn't really listening to him. Then he said he had no money and this and that and I turned to my husband and said (out loud so the guy could hear also). This is the guy from the internet on cruise critic board. He was gone in one second. We looked around and he was no where to be seen. At this point I was mad I didn't ask him how much he makes and how he can go to bed at night when he scams all these people. I was wishing I would have dug in my purse like I was getting money and actually pulled out my camera and snapped a picture. We went back out looking for him the next night but didn't see him. I really couldn't believe we saw him.

[aimelearning]

I just realized that I fell for this scam here in St. Louis. Parking lot of O'Charley's or some similar chain. Woman's car had broken down, needed cab fare to her home about 50 miles down the hwy, yada yada yada. Fortunately I only had about 5 bucks on me. <sigh>

Edited November 18, 2012 by aimelearning

[Lsimon]

.... At this point I was mad I didn't ask him how much he makes and how he can go to bed at night when he scams all these people. I was wishing I would have dug in my purse like I was getting money and actually pulled out my camera and snapped a picture. We went back out looking for him the next night but didn't see him.,,

 

Consider yourself fortunate. I've never head anything to indicate this guy, or perhaps these guys, are violent at all and I'd guess they are not. But just the same I'd never want to back a weird dishonest crook into a corner or do anything to possibly antagonize them. It would serve no purpose and could have only bad consequences. I'd just walk away and consider myself fortunate that I was warned.

[Nole0202]

Just returned last night from San Juan. My husband and I actually were there on 2 trips because of an airline sale. I had read about this guy and my nephew actually gave him $20 about 4 years ago while he was there with some friends. Told him the same story. Our first trip was just 2 weeks ago and I forgot all about the guy and never thought of him until we got home. We went again last Saturday and never thought about him again. We stayed at the Radisson in Condada and did take the bus to town. Our 2nd night there, we were walking back to our hotel and he approached us. Started out by asking if we spoke english and we said yes and he said oh good, and talked about how he and his dad were down a few blocks in a new development area and they were mugged and his father was beat up pretty bad. I was thinking he was talking about this development area and a time share or something so wasn't really listening to him. Then he said he had no money and this and that and I turned to my husband and said (out loud so the guy could hear also). This is the guy from the internet on cruise critic board. He was gone in one second. We looked around and he was no where to be seen. At this point I was mad I didn't ask him how much he makes and how he can go to bed at night when he scams all these people. I was wishing I would have dug in my purse like I was getting money and actually pulled out my camera and snapped a picture. We went back out looking for him the next night but didn't see him. I really couldn't believe we saw him.

 

 

Will be in OSJ in a couple weeks, arriving a couple days before departure. AM travelling with a group of 5 for protection and will try to get a photo of him for u'all. Guarantee to bring back some photos of the St. Kitts monkeys to share.

[pdmlynek]

I just realized that I fell for this scam here in St. Louis. Parking lot of O'Charley's or some similar chain. Woman's car had broken down, needed cab fare to her home about 50 miles down the hwy, yada yada yada. Fortunately I only had about 5 bucks on me. <sigh>

 

I run on regular basis into people who ask for help. I am more than willing to give it. The problem with scammers is that when a person is in real trouble, others will not lend a hand to help because they have been burned to many times.

Luckily, it is actually pretty easy to tell the conmen from those needing help for real. The scammers just want money and not any food that I have to offer, they want money and not a bus ticket that I may have to offer, they want money and not to borrow my cell phone to call for help, they want money and not a lift to their destination.

[Evilgrin72]

I was there last week and was approached by this guy. I had forgotten about this at first and he went through the spiel about how someone had gotten mugged over by the fort, yada yada yada. As soon as he launched into the "my dad is in the hospital" bit, I cut him off and said - "Ohhhhh yeah ! I read about you on the internet !" He seemed a little annoyed and said "you must have me confused with someone else" but then he was gone in a flash after that. I told my wife all about this thread and we had a good chuckle.

 

Fear not, though, I never once felt like I was in the slightest danger.