Beware parking lot scammers while shopping (crimes, lawyers, car)

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by Old Guard

How would this differ no matter who it was? Most of the time the receipt is just thrown in the bag.

You're right. Anybody could do it.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by Old Guard

You are the one focusing on police. Classic case of: "if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail".

Sorry you are hurt that this is not about you.

I'm surprised you said this. I was only a LEO for over 30 years and LE has been my life since I was 20. Not sure how you would expect me to respond? But I still maintain what I wrote is accurate. I seem to recall when you first came on here you had an issue with me then and I assume still do. Or maybe you just didn't like my response to you from a LE perspective.

[Old Guard]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

The couple here that say this is real have yet to answer. How do you get snookered into allowing high priced items into your cart in this scam? Wouldn't the normal person at some point say this is BS and just walk away? If someone is allowing a so called homeless person to do this to them then shame on them. I can see and understand an elderly person maybe being taken advantage of but not the vast majority of the shopping public.

Originally Posted by Old Guard

I know you were a police officer. There are many good willed people who are easy to take advantage of. An $8 loaf of gluten free bread may be a lot for me but there are people who do not even look at price, they just get what is on the list and never even look to see if the item sitting right next to it could be the same thing for half the price.

I assume some of those people are also at least some of the people that get scammed. They have a good heart, good money and feel fortunate. The are trying to help and they get taken advantage of.

As a former police officer I am sure you know how this works.

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

Sorry but I don't buy this.

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

Because it doesn't happen.

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

Don't worry. I'm not worried. I'm sorry you disagree with me and I'm sorry if your feelings are hurt but if it's not a violation of a law as defined by the Code of Va what exactly do you want the police to do? Please tell us. While police officers are constantly called to situations where identifying a person is prudent it doesn't necessarily mean a law has been broken.

Because you have been rude for no reason. Even if you do not believe it there is no reason to call the OP a liar on a relaxed message board. If it does not happen than the warning does not hurt. And then we have another poster that has stated it happens:

Originally Posted by SmartMoney

The grocery stores are now all keeping photos of these folks - they were returning the groceries and redeeming for cash. Never pay cash and never give anyone the receipt, if you do buy someone groceries.

I think if you want to try to prove that you are better than people than the proof is on you to prove it does not happen. I have seen the parking lot scammers AND have been approached in stores.

[Bill790]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

....tiny condoms...

I've never had a homeless guy ask me for that.....

--

[Bill790]

Originally Posted by SmartMoney

.......(not married)....

How you doin'....

--

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by Bill790

I've never had a homeless guy ask me for that.....

--

Well, you never knew when it might happen.

[Bill790]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

I was only a LEO for over 30 years and LE has been my life since I was 20. Not sure how you would expect me to respond?

Bigfoot, I think that's the fundamental issue...you're seeing it from a different perspective. And it's going to be different than the way the rest of us see it.

Originally Posted by Old Guard

I think if you want to try to prove that you are better than people than the proof is on you to prove it does not happen. I have seen the parking lot scammers AND have been approached in stores.

OG--he's not trying to prove anything. From a LE perspective, Bigfoot is saying, "That doesn't sound plausible." I get it. The OP didn't seem plausible to me either. A scammer getting somebody to buy her a cart full of high-priced goods? It just doesn't seem like anybody would fall for this. At some point, when the scammer is loading her cart with filet mignon, people are going to walk away (if it ever got to that point). But, as Bigfoot has observed, an elderly person getting scammed this way might be plausible, however unlikely. And you'd think the management of some place like Wegman's would be on the lookout for something like this. A group of people in Wegman's berating somebody for not paying for a homeless lady's filet mignon? Honestly?

Can we all get along, folks? Bigfoot has a very direct way of expressing himself. Direct doesn't mean rude. It just means direct. I've gotten used to it. You should too.

C'mon....we NOVAites need to stick together!

--

[Old Guard]

Originally Posted by Bill790

Bigfoot, I think that's the fundamental issue...you're seeing it from a different perspective. And it's going to be different than the way the rest of us see it.





OG--he's not trying to prove anything. From a LE perspective, Bigfoot is saying, "That doesn't sound plausible." I get it. The OP didn't seem plausible to me either. A scammer getting somebody to buy her a cart full of high-priced goods? It just doesn't seem like anybody would fall for this. At some point, when the scammer is loading her cart with filet mignon, people are going to walk away (if it ever got to that point). But, as Bigfoot has observed, an elderly person getting scammed this way might be plausible, however unlikely. And you'd think the management of some place like Wegman's would be on the lookout for something like this. A group of people in Wegman's berating somebody for not paying for a homeless lady's filet mignon? Honestly?

Can we all get along, folks? Bigfoot has a very direct way of expressing himself. Direct doesn't mean rude. It just means direct. I've gotten used to it. You should too.

C'mon....we NOVAites need to stick together!

--

Really I am not sure if it is happening or not but I see no problem with the warning on scammers. Scammers are out there. Being LEO for 30 years means nothing since police are usually reactionary and do not know of all crimes and how to deal with them. They also are not even the best at knowing all of the laws and how to properly deal with them. I could post countless articles to support this but I am generally pro-police. I have no problem with BigFoot at all but I did not agree with his responses in this thread.

[Bill790]

Originally Posted by Old Guard

Being LEO for 30 years means nothing since police are usually reactionary and do not know of all crimes and how to deal with them.

I'm not sure what that means. If you're saying that cops wait for crime to happen, and then react, that's not been my experience. I went on a ride-along with a Prince William County police officer last summer. That young man was the opposite of reactive. He was proactive in looking in the nooks and crannies, and back parking lots and secluded areas, looking for nefarious activities.

And, honestly..."being LE for 30 years means nothing" when it comes to discussing crime? Dude, that doesn't make sense.

--

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by Bill790

I'm not sure what that means. If you're saying that cops wait for crime to happen, and then react, that's not been my experience. I went on a ride-along with a Prince William County police officer last summer. That young man was the opposite of reactive. He was proactive in looking in the nooks and crannies, and back parking lots and secluded areas, looking for nefarious activities.

And, honestly..."being LE for 30 years means nothing" when it comes to discussing crime? Dude, that doesn't make sense.

--

I'm glad you went on a ride-along. We used to encourage citizens of PWC to do this and I assume they still do. I'd love to know who you rode with but there is a good chance I won't know them since I left in 09. I got a chuckle out of the "reactionary" comment but it didn't bother me. On some nights we were in truth. I remember one night working the east end of the county I responded to 35 calls for service with quite a few emergencies in progress. Barely had a chance to stop for any relief. But I saw plenty of nights where I could stake out the problem areas. Maybe watch for drug deals in progress. Burglaries to occur to the usual places or watch the bars where we were certain to respond that night to huge fights. I did pretty much everything a LEO can do in a long career but I certainly didn't do it all. But I like to think I have a good grasp on the law and especially the criminal law.

You say I'm "direct' and maybe I am. (Don't worry, I'm not insulted) I just try and answer questions folks on here have or respond to issues others are looking for help with. I seemed to have struck a nerve with a member on here and that's okay. Not everyone agrees on here with every subject and we never will. My comments/advice/suggestions come from both my experiences in my many years in LE and of course with life experiences.