Scam Warning!! Stuck at home with no electricity

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Monkey_mami
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Scam Warning!! Stuck at home with no electricity

Postby Monkey_mami » Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:34 pm

Nice-looking woman rings bell at 9:30pm Sunday night with sad story about having no electricity and being stuck at home with an infant waiting for her partner and please please, so sorry to be asking and this is a horrible way to meet my neighbours but I am desperate and could you please lend me eight pounds so I can go to Tesco and recharge my electric meter card.

Embarrassed to admit I totally fell for it and "loaned" this "needy" neighbour the money while she told me her address and how she'll pay me back as soon as she can...

I've since heard of at least another 3 people who this has happened to so beware! Happy to have spent the eight pounds if I can keep anyone from falling for this scam.
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moops
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Location: Earlsfield

Re: Scam Warning!! Stuck at home with no electricity

Postby moops » Tue Jun 28, 2011 10:18 pm

Yep this happened to my friend as well in Earlsfield. My friend asked her where she lived though and she said the number and pointed in the opposite direction so my friend pointed this out and the woman took off!
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happybear
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Re: Scam Warning!! Stuck at home with no electricity

Postby happybear » Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:55 pm

This happened to me as well, however it was a man who tried it on with me. He said he lived 12 doors down from me and I could get the money off him the next day.

Unfortunately for him our street is very friendly and I knew the people who lived in the house he said he live at. Rather than challenge him on this I just said we did not keep and any cash in the house so could not help.

The thing is that they work on the basis that people don't know their neighbours and they gilt trip you into feeling you are doing somthing for the community.

Also they work on the natural response we would all have in this situation and that is that someone who lives a few doors away is unlikely not to pay you back. 
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Toots-1
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Location: Tooting, London

Re: Scam Warning!! Stuck at home with no electricity

Postby Toots-1 » Mon Jul 04, 2011 9:43 am

Oh wow - this has just made me realise, about 2 years too late, that I was scammed in Tooting in this exact same way, around 11pm one night! I only had £4.50 on me so got off lightly, but it's a useful lesson...

(I'm getting involved in my local Neighbourhood watch so that should deter any would-be scamsters arriving at my door :) )
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twingirlsmama
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Re: Scam Warning!! Stuck at home with no electricity

Postby twingirlsmama » Mon Jul 04, 2011 11:13 am

there is also someone going around saying theyve locked their keys in the car and could you give them some money for the bus / train to get home and get the spare keys. they are targeting trades especially so warn your painters, carpenters etc if they are in and out. More importantly i always think that with this sort of scam they are looking beyond the front door with a longer term view to burglary.
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lemonzest
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Re: Scam Warning!! Stuck at home with no electricity

Postby lemonzest » Sat Sep 14, 2013 10:19 pm

Another friend in Earlsfield (Magdalen Estate) was taken in by this a few months ago...
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Kittens77
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Re: Scam Warning!! Stuck at home with no electricity

Postby Kittens77 » Mon Sep 16, 2013 11:39 am

i posted about this last week - my sister was babysitting at my house in Earlsfield and gave the woman £12. We reported it to the police.
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Southfields girl
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Re: Scam Warning!! Stuck at home with no electricity

Postby Southfields girl » Tue Sep 17, 2013 2:19 pm

this happened to me last new years day around 9pm. it was a black lady, said her name was Louise from number 38 and her electric meter had gone and could she have £7. At first I didnt doubt her but she said she was in the house on her own with her baby but the baby was nowhere to be seen and who would leave a baby in a dark house to go door knocking!?.
The house she said she lived in is well over £1m so i sure it wouldn't have a meter, my OH said he would go up with her to check she was ok as she had said she had a child in the house, then she was on her phone saying her brother in law was over.
Later on I went up to 38 and no lights on etc, turned out the owners were away over christmas.
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nanny1985
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Re: Scam Warning!! Stuck at home with no electricity

Postby nanny1985 » Wed Sep 18, 2013 10:27 pm

It happened to me in Fulham two times. First time I gave a woman £10(she asked for £20!), to supposedly buy a train ticket so that she can retrieve a house key from her brother blah blah. I knew something is dodgy with the entire situation, but she had a child with her (about 8yrs old), so I just gave the money. Second time round, another woman, again in Fulham, was telling me that she left her husband, and whether I could lend her money to buy a train ticket so that she can go to her sister's. I just said I had no cash on me...
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gamisa
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Re: Scam Warning!! Stuck at home with no electricity

Postby gamisa » Thu Dec 18, 2014 9:29 pm

I am 3 years' late to this post.

But please be aware that this is still happening.

This just happened to us in Clapham, Battersea. She knocked at the door at 08:30pm, told exactly the same story about electricty and asked for 8 pounds. Said that she would charge at co-op and this is an emergency. We asked her where she lives, the address she said is 8 doors from us.

We have reported this to the police already. Hope more people is aware of this , and realize that this is a scam, instead of someone who has a genuine need. Best is to ask them seek help from the police or the local church directly.
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gemma1984
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Re: Scam Warning!! Stuck at home with no electricity

Postby gemma1984 » Fri Dec 19, 2014 5:54 pm

This happened to me last night, a woman knocked on my door at around 8:30pm with the exact same story about having no electric and a young child at home ect she asked for £8. Luckily I have heard about this scam before so didn't fall for it. She said her name was Joanna.
I live just off Northcote road
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jasbro
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Re: Scam Warning!! Stuck at home with no electricity

Postby jasbro » Mon Dec 22, 2014 5:14 pm

Fortunately I've only read about this - but sounds like it's been going for quite a while. It's in the opening chapter I think of Zadie Smith's NW.
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whirlwind
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Re: Scam Warning!! Stuck at home with no electricity

Postby whirlwind » Tue Dec 23, 2014 3:14 pm

I fell for this about 7 years ago and I've also had the man who had locked his keys in his van, though he was so unconvincing that I told him I had no cash on me. The latest one to beware of though is a guy who rings doorbells at about 8-9pm (and he rings for ages so no chance of kids sleeping through that one). He is super friendly and says they've just moved into the area, and has some convoluted sob story about how his wife has gone into labour and he needs £20 for a cab. He also proclaimed to live 6 doors down from us, but obviously didn't realise that the house he picked is that of an old lady who is very friendly with everyone, so not many people down our road would have fallen for that one. When we started asking him questions, he soon said his goodbyes and took off.
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Fruisli
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Re: Scam Warning!! Stuck at home with no electricity

Postby Fruisli » Wed Mar 15, 2017 6:59 am

Looks like this one has had a resurgence... in the last month I've had 2 people come to the door early in the morning (6-8am) saying they need cash for their electric meters. We're round Abbeville Road way. Very frustrating because if it's genuine I obviously want to help but not if it's a scam!
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Bluebird27
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Re: Scam Warning!! Stuck at home with no electricity

Postby Bluebird27 » Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:45 am

I'm in Abbeville village too and I have had people coming around asking for help with their electric meter too! :o
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