Homeless Family (Portland: insurance, homes, employment)

[GB1]

A little Googling turned up this:

In addition to home renovation scams, the Travellers sell RV units. However, the units are extremely cheaply made in Elk Hart, Indiana specifically for the Travellers. RCMP say it is not unusual for the Travellers to sell two or three trailers while in the campground.

Have to admit I hadn't heard of the RV scam. Most of the Traveler crap involves driveway sealing, roofing scams, and trying to get rid of a load of goods cheap.

About this time of year two years ago, I had a Traveler try to pull a lost-wallet scam on me near PGE Park. It was funny, but had he been trying to pull it on a trusting old woman, it wouldn't have been so comical. By the time I found a cop, the guy was long gone.

[nanannie]

They even made a movie about them with Bill Paxton (Big Love). I believe its called "The Travelers".

[Wicked Felina]

Originally Posted by GB1

Don't know where this is going, but I'd guess it would start with monetary donations...The posters who are suggesting churches and Lions Clubs are very sweet and their attitudes commendable. If nothing about this story sets off any alarm bells with you, you're not paying attention.

Anyone who wants to be foolish enough to help them should arrange to meet them at a police station. Whatever you do, don't let them anywhere near your house.

GB1, while I am very sweet - thank you! - I am not so gullible. A few kind words won't hurt anything, and I was really hoping to see where this was going! Just when it was getting fun...

I truly never thought that anyone would've offered up any money to them, but you're right, you never know. For that reason, I am glad that you posted.

For watching out for people, I'm sending rep points your way

[HDL]

You have said it so much better than I ever could have ! I help folks all the time, but even the poster's name rang out scam to me ! Add to that the time of the post (kind of late for a pregnant mom of 5 in an RV ).

Anyways, Rep points for you GB1 and I agree !

Originally Posted by GB1

Come on, City-data folk. You're being scammed.

A family of seven and a dog leaving behind a 5BD house that they own, driving from Florida to Oregon in an RV on the "promise" of a job for the husband?

A family that moves five children in the middle of the school year rather than wait for Dad to get set up in a new city with a job and a house?

A family that owns a 5BD house in a respectable community, but doesn't have family or friends who can forward them a loan so they can get home?

A family where the dad's gonna get work rilly rilly soon, just as soon as he gets that darn old personal trainer recertification?

A family that's never posted here ever before except to tell their tale of woe? (The pregnancy and the abused dog from the kill shelter are nice touches, though a bit much.)

Given the fact that they say they're from Florida, the time of year, and the RV, I'd guess these people are Travelers, who descend on the Northwest in May-July. Portland seems to have a reputation for being both generous and gullible.

Don't know where this is going, but I'd guess it would start with monetary donations and end with them wanting to sell their beautiful new RV in order to get the money to leave town ("More than anything, we just want to go back home"). Once they found a sucker who would swallow this nonsense, the scam would be on in earnest, and God knows where it would go from there.

The posters who are suggesting churches and Lions Clubs are very sweet and their attitudes commendable, but that's what scam artists depend on. If nothing about this story sets off any alarm bells with you, you're not paying attention.

Anyone who wants to be foolish enough to help them should arrange to meet them at a police station. Whatever you do, don't let them anywhere near your house.

[deegers]

Wow, thanks GB! I guess I fell for it like a sucker. THe heat got to me this week really bad. I thought it didn't add up but having read some articles on people living in vehicles due to foreclosure issues, or whatever I just wasn't thinking straight.

I noticed they haven't come back.. you know, having no money would be hard to have internet wouldn't it...

[GB1]

Seebee, I didn't mean to suggest you (or anyone else on this board in particular) was gullible. Sorry! But the time I spent in Portland, I encountered more penny-ante scams and old grifts than I've ever seen anywhere.

The gas-can thing must've been pulled on me half a dozen times. Again, it's common sense: if you run out of gas, do you leave your car and walk around with an empty gas can asking people for money? There's also a guy downtown who's been working the same spiel for years: his truck was stolen, and he needs $25 for taxi fare back to Welches. He's been written about in the Oregonian more than once, and he still manages to tug at enough heartstrings to make the scam worthwhile.

The wallet guy I mentioned earlier -- I was walking with a buddy in that no-mans-land between PGE Park and downtown. A guy in a suit came up to us, flustered -- he'd been pumping gas up on NW 23rd, and he set his "Day Timer" on the pump while he paid, and someone stole it and it had all his credit cards and money and ID in it...

Again, common sense: you lose your wallet, you walk 10 blocks to an area where there's no one around to get help? My friend said "A Day-Timer? What is this, a scam from 1988? You ought to upgrade to an imaginary Palm Pilot."

Anyway, it's early summer and the Travelers are on their migration to cooler weather in the Northwest and Northeast. If you have any elderly friends or neighbors, you might clue them in to beware of any "workman" who stops and offers a great deal on driveway paving or roofing, or a "trucker" who wants to sell a load of goods cheap because he has to get back home for some emergency. Those are the standard lines, and they prey on both the good-hearted and the people who want to get something for nothing. Sadly, they also prey on the easily confused elderly as well.

[GB1]

Originally Posted by deegers

Wow, thanks GB! I guess I fell for it like a sucker. THe heat got to me this week really bad. I thought it didn't add up but having read some articles on people living in vehicles due to foreclosure issues, or whatever I just wasn't thinking straight.

You have a good heart. That's not a bad thing at all.

And I'm sure you'll be continuing to offer help to people who really need it.

[deegers]

you would think I know better. I've heard many a story out here in Vegas. I guess I didn't think they would try on a forum.

[MuseofaBlindPoet]

Actually.... No scam... and we aren't looking for money. Just agencies other than the ones that 211 recycles. As a matter of fact, thanks to Deegers we were put in touch with the wonderful people at Friendly House (http://www.friendlyhouseinc.org/pages/programs/communitycenter.htm - broken link) (in case you hear of another family seriously in need of help), who we met with today and in 3 days most we should be moving into transitional housing. So thank you very much for your suggestions, they were far more helpful than the state agencies we have been dealing with for the last week.

I'm sure there are people out there that pull such scams, which is part of makes it so damn hard when it actually happens to someone. BTW... The Bally's Industry are the bunch of c*ck suckers that got us where we are now. Next week we'll be donating our RV, anyone know of any groups that instead of reselling the RV actually put it helping homeless people? If not, I guess we'll have to make due with donating it to one of the others.

Yes I said "We just want to go home" wouldn't you? Stress does that.. and no... I never said we owned our house in Florida, we rented it honey, which just made it all so much more frustrating because we walked away from damn good money and my husbands clients to come here and start over. Going back isn't really an option and hasn't been since we left.

Now that things aren't as insane, aside from the RV donation anyone know of any good summer programs for kids 3-9 y/o that are home schooled, we're going over to the library on 122nd and Stark, is that a good one or is there a better one in the area?

[MuseofaBlindPoet]

Oh.. and for all those screaming SCAM.. you want to meet me, my husband, our kids, and our dog? We'll be over at Aaron's on 82nd and Holgate, along with the nice gentleman that was helping us out until the city told him he couldn't (Bobby), all day Friday helping the DPCW folks because they helped us so much. You're more than welcome to come out and say hello to us.