# Legit or hoax



## debodun (Nov 20, 2014)

A woman posted today on Facebook as a single mom with 6 kids between the ages of 11 and 2 years who were evicted from their residence and are newly moved into our area. She was asking for help with Christmas - anything in the way of clothing, toys, food so she can give her kids a good Christmas. Some people really can think of sad stories to get your sympathy, or is it so bad it seems phony?


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## Denise1952 (Nov 20, 2014)

I don't think it would hurt to give her the benefit of the doubt.  If she's a user, people will know soon enough.  I would not hesitate to pay her a visit, welcome her, get to know her a little. If everyone chipped in, it would be very little off anyone to provide a christmas for them.


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## Happyflowerlady (Nov 20, 2014)

Does it say where she is staying right now ? 
If she just moved into your area, then it doesn't make sense that she would have been evicted already. On the other hand, if she was evicted where ever she lived previously, how did she manage to afford to move to another area, and is she now renting a place to live here ?  
Usually, you have to pay a first/last/deposit to rent a house or apartment, plus the cost of moving from one area to another. If she could afford to do all of that, it would have been much easier and cheaper for her to have paid her rent where she was living and not been evicted. 

I would check this out a whole lot before handing out any money, or anything else (people even sell food for drug money nowdays).   Churches and local charities will usually help these people, and if there is a Rescue Mission in your area, they usually give out food and maybe even presents for needy people at Christmas.  
There are a lot of places that help legitimate needy families; so I am skeptical why she would be asking for donations on Facebook.


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 20, 2014)

I guess if it's someone who is asking for items for their children, may be a bit easier to believe it's real.  But there's plenty of online scammers who ask for donations (go fund me) for completely bogus reasons, just to get the cash and run.  They'll claim hard times, and even diseases like cancer to rip others off for some quick cash...http://www.oddee.com/item_98193.aspx


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## Geezerette (Nov 20, 2014)

It would be doing her a favor to post the numbers and or addresses of social service agencies in her area. With those ages at least some of her kids SHOULD be in school, & schools are usually good at linking their students families with help. And not to be snarky ( well, maybe a bit ) , but why aren't the father or fathers of all those kids helping? 
In my city there have been so many "poor pitiful me" scams, at least one thru "go fund me", recently: waitress collected over $3 thou supposedly for the funeral of a coworker who died suddenly, then ran off with it. Their mutual employer replaced it, and Go fund me refunded at least some of the donations. APB out for the thief.


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## jujube (Nov 20, 2014)

Craigslist is full of the sob stories this time of year.  I fell for one a few years ago....single mother, can't afford a Christmas tree, ornaments or presents for her son.  I actually talked to her on the phone and she sounded very nice, so I met her at a Kmart and gave her a nice artificial tree that I had extra, a lot of ornaments and a couple of gifts for her son.  The tree and ornaments were up for sale on Craigslist two days later (I know because she posted pictures and I recognized the ornaments).   So, now I give only to recognized charities.


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## Davey Jones (Nov 20, 2014)

There is always the Red Cross and several other agencies she can go to.

I would stay away from this type of posting.


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## RadishRose (Nov 20, 2014)

The United Way and Salvation Army are there to help. In my opinion it's a scam.


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 20, 2014)

jujube said:


> Craigslist is full of the sob stories this time of year.  I fell for one a few years ago....single mother, can't afford a Christmas tree, ornaments or presents for her son.  I actually talked to her on the phone and she sounded very nice, so I met her at a Kmart and gave her a nice artificial tree that I had extra, a lot of ornaments and a couple of gifts for her son.  The tree and ornaments were up for sale on Craigslist two days later (I know because she posted pictures and I recognized the ornaments).   So, now I give only to recognized charities.



Wow Jujube, that's some story.


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## AprilT (Nov 20, 2014)

Sometimes it's difficult to know, the scams have hardened me a bit, a couple of years ago, wasn't anything for me to give someone a couple of dollars.  I overheard a lady on the bus having a conversation with a friend about she was shy of a few dollars to get a monthly or weekly bus pass, so I quietly eased over to where she was and gave her the money, she hadn't asked.  I've done that before, but in my town, there are so many cons going on plus, it's safer to just direct them to the proper resources, there are plenty in town.  Things like the following make me scratch my head, one can't be sure if their just creating more of a nuisance or actually helping sometimes.


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 20, 2014)

Another scammer here...


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## Bettyann (Nov 20, 2014)

The way I look at it is this: regardless if people are lying, scamming, whatever you want to call it -- if WE do good to them...what have we lost? All good is returned to us somehow, in some way ... I have listened to SO many people crabbing around about the homeless who beg for/accept the money give to them and say stuff like: They probably make more than "I" do!! blah blah blah... Well, just don't _give_ then... If its not done with love...or with a good feeling... it won't benefit you anyway...


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## Butterfly (Nov 21, 2014)

Well, I would suggest that you be VERY wary of responding to something like this.  I certainly would not do so, because it may not be safe.  Who knows who is really behind that posting - I mean anybody can post anything on lists like that.  It could be legit, or it could be a  bunch of bad guys waiting to pounce on the gullible.  If you are wanting to help someone, see if your church or local charity like the Red Cross or even a social services department has lists of people who need help over the holidays.


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## Ralphy1 (Nov 21, 2014)

Stick to supporting recognized organizations that help the needy...


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## oldman (Nov 21, 2014)

Yeah, I'm one of the softies that gives a dollar or two to these people. I figure if I can help one out of four, maybe it will make a difference in their life. It probably costs me $10.00 a year.


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## Ken N Tx (Nov 21, 2014)

If she has internet or a smartphone she surely does not need handouts!!


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## JustBonee (Nov 21, 2014)

Ken N Tx said:


> If she has internet or a smartphone she surely does not need handouts!!



Good point.


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## Twixie (Nov 21, 2014)

You can never tell..one of the most successful beggars here simply held up a plaque saying..

''I'm an alcoholic and I need money to buy booze!!''

People were so impressed by his honesty..he made a mint!!


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## GeorgiaXplant (Nov 21, 2014)

I've turned cynical and jaded in my eld...scam!


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## Twixie (Nov 21, 2014)

If I walk past a beggar who catches my eye..I'll give him/her something..I don't care what he does with it..I call it ''luck'' money!!


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## ClassicRockr (Nov 21, 2014)

Between wife and I, I am definitely the "cautious" one. I have taught her to be more "cautious". We will give a few dollars to a Firemen's Boot at a street intersection. We know these guys are wearing uniforms and can see the Ladder/Hose Truck parked along side of the street. We also gave a couple of dollars to some type of Veteran's Organization on Veteran's Day at a Buffet restaurant. People we see asking for money on a street corner......nope! 

There have been many Seniors that have become victims due to being to nice or being told something from a stranger in order to get some money. They will write out a large-amount check and later find out it was a scam and complain about it. Now, if these Seniors weren't so "nice" in the first place, they wouldn't have lost all that money over a bunch of BS they were told.


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## Twixie (Nov 21, 2014)

I worked for a very large worldwide charity..I have never seen so much fraud..theft..and embezzlement in all of my born days..

I'd rather give a beggar $10..


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## debodun (Nov 21, 2014)

Well, if she has a computer to sit in front of and idle away time on Facebook - no vote for my sympathy. Some people had responded to her message suggesting various charities, The woman countered that she went to evey one mentioned and was turned away to they told her that they don't cover the town where she is living now.


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## ClassicRockr (Nov 21, 2014)

Sort of reminds me of part of a song (from Ghostbusters)......"Some things strange in the neighborhood"


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## Butterfly (Nov 21, 2014)

Do NOT get sucked into scams on the internet!  Giving a couple dollars to someone on the street is ever so much safer than getting sucked into one of these internet pleas for help.  You have no way of knowing what's (or who's) behind such a plea.  People have had their identities stolen, lost large sums of money and even their lives getting involved in stuff like this.  There's a reason the authorities are always pleading with seniors not to be victims of internet scams!


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## debodun (Nov 27, 2014)

Today this was posted on the Facebook page where I saw this (name deleted for privacy):

Notice to Members: XXXX XXXXXX was removed from this and several other  groups for being a scammer and trying to get people to give free stuff  to her children. We have received several reports that she is indeed pulling a scam. Don't fall  for these type of practices during the holiday season.


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## oakapple (Nov 27, 2014)

debodun said:


> Today this was posted on the Facebook page where I saw this (name deleted for privacy):
> 
> Notice to Members: XXXX XXXXXX was removed from this and several other groups for being a scammer and trying to get people to give free stuff to her children. We have received several reports that she is indeed pulling a scam. Don't fall for these type of practices during the holiday season.


I agree. Honest people would not be 'begging' on Facebook. They would do what they can for their children at Christmas, and if they can't buy stuff, then they don't.My Mother, would have been ashamed to beg like this,we were poor but managed [just.]So much of this type of thing goes on now.


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## Debby (Nov 27, 2014)

Bettyann said:


> The way I look at it is this: regardless if people are lying, scamming, whatever you want to call it -- if WE do good to them...what have we lost? All good is returned to us somehow, in some way ... I have listened to SO many people crabbing around about the homeless who beg for/accept the money give to them and say stuff like: They probably make more than "I" do!! blah blah blah... Well, just don't _give_ then... If its not done with love...or with a good feeling... it won't benefit you anyway...





You've made some really good points Bettyann.  You just never know when you might be that 'angel' for someone.

When I was a little girl, I remember one Christmas when we were really poor (well actually we were pretty poor for most of my Christmas's but this one must have been the worst).  No Christmas presents and my dad even stole a tree off a closed lot on Christmas eve just so there was something.  I know, I know, bad action but coming from a good place right?

That night, some church people knocked on our door and came in with some food and a huge box of old toys.  I remember so well to this day, how excited I was as I scrounged through this box of old cast offs.  

There's always a chance that you might be conned, but like some here have said, if you aren't sure, you can always donate a toy to a Christmas toy fund group or Salvation Army or someone so that they can reach out on our behalf.


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## Debby (Nov 27, 2014)

Butterfly said:


> Do NOT get sucked into scams on the internet!  Giving a couple dollars to someone on the street is ever so much safer than getting sucked into one of these internet pleas for help.  You have no way of knowing what's (or who's) behind such a plea.  People have had their identities stolen, lost large sums of money and even their lives getting involved in stuff like this.  There's a reason the authorities are always pleading with seniors not to be victims of internet scams!




Keeping in mind my last comment, haha, here's a response to your suggestion that it's safer giving someone a few dollars on the street.

My husband used to run a business with multiple job sites in downtown Vancouver.  One day he was approached by a young fellow, who wasn't rich but he wasn't a vagrant type either.  His story was that he'd just heard from his wife that she was going into labour  and he was out of cash for a taxi and the bus wouldn't be fast enough because of where they lived or something along those lines.  My husband has a pretty good instinct about people so he just said he was sorry and couldn't help.  The young guy was polite about being refused and my husband went on to his next job site.

So a couple days later  and he happens to be back in that area checking on that job site and lo and behold, who should he see, but the same young guy, standing at the curb at the corner talking through the rolled down window of a pick up truck that had stopped at the light.  His back was to my husband so he didn't see as my husband kind of sidled closer to listen.  Then my husband 'intruded' on the conversation to inform the truck driver that this guys wife must be in the longest labour ever because he'd heard the same story a couple days before.  Needless to say, the 'new father' didn't stick around.

Personally, my feeling is that we're better of working with some kind of grass roots community agency.  If you aren't able to help directly, those folks can always use a few dollars to help with buying another potato for the pot if you know what I mean.


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## Butterfly (Nov 27, 2014)

Around here, one of the common come-ons is "I need $ for my child's prescription . . . ."


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## debodun (Nov 28, 2014)

Yes, if you want to help the needy, do it through a legitimate charity.


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## AZ Jim (Nov 30, 2014)

It's disgusting how many people are willing to take advantage of the rest of us.   The safest way to get help to the truly needy is to use an legitimate charitable organization.  If you believe as I do in Karma, the scam artists will get theirs sooner or later.


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