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

[Lard Greystoke]

He has been at this for so long. I can't figure out why the police don't stop him.

 

 

It isn't against the law to ask people for money. It also isn't against the law to lie, otherwise none of our presidential debates would have anyone left after about the first minute.

[sj755]

Just arrived yesterday and was approached by the same person in the vicinity of Sheraton Old San Juan. Told him I heard his story and he then took off.

 

 

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[SomeGuyNamedTracy]

It isn't against the law to ask people for money. It also isn't against the law to lie, otherwise none of our presidential debates would have anyone left after about the first minute.

 

I can't speak for Puerto Rico, but what the guy is doing would be illegal here in Wisconsin. I'm sure other states have similar laws. It's called theft by fraud.

[mlbcruiser]

Not surprising as this type of scammer operates in every major city in the U.S.- and probably the world. I recall seeing a show on 20/20, I believe it was, pretty many years ago. In one case, a young woman of perhaps college age would tell people her mother had cancer, and due to mounting medical bills and such, they were in dire straights and desperately needed money just to live. She made a LOT of money from this, and the cops did know about her. I can't recall why she had not been arrested and perhaps in the end she was. In another case there was a guy in NYC who was interviewed by a reporter and supposedly made $80,000 a year. Frankly, I NEVER get my wallet out when asked for money or "spare change" for any reason. However, I WILL donate to Salvation Army bell ringers at Christmas, fireman or other bonafide groups collecting in intersections for certain programs, and sometimes I give to street musicians, although I try to be careful about pulling money out on the street. I used to have a friend who, when asked for money by panhandlers to buy food or alcohol would hand them a very small little booklet called The Four Spiritual Laws and instead of giving them money, he would start talking to them about asking Jesus into their life!

[colocop004]

This guy is alive and well, he approached us in OSJ in December 2017

 

 

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[waverley7]

This guy is alive and well, he approached us in OSJ in December 2017

 

 

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I'm heading there in April, I will watch out for this guy!!

[cmdchiefthom]

This subject has been posted tons of times on CC. I have to believe this guy is real, but as many times as I have been to San Juan, I've never seen him.:rolleyes:

[SOPOME]

Just got back and 3 out of 4 of us encountered him while staying in Old San Juan before the cruise! (He just runs away when you confront him as a fraud! His story doesn't change either, so just read the earlier posts and you will know what his "pitch" will be!)

We were down near Raices at the time if that helps anyone. Two in the group of us had just gone to an ATM for cash, so we guessed he might be watching for that activity! I'm amazed that he has apparently been doing this con for 10 years or more....I can only imagine his routine each morning (ie: bandaids, etc) before he leaves "home" to con his next victim! It must have been tough for him when there were no tourists there for a couple of months! :mad::rolleyes::evilsmile:

[rdsxgrl28]

He should start offering to take pictures with him for $1 since he is now an internet sensation LOL!! He could be the Naked Cowboy of San Juan:evilsmile:

[mollyeilis]

Should I ever see him, I’m choosing to think of him as a performance artist.

 

I think it’s amazing that he can make a living at this. Probably works harder doing this than many do at their real jobs!!

 

I don’t love giving money to strangers as I feel vulnerable, but I don’t judge the askers for it. Husband and son are open squishy hearts and will ALWAYS give money if they can. They feel that a dollar to someone just in case their story is real is better karmically than hardening their hearts and assuming a lie.

 

 

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[Stinger-pr]

This subject has been posted tons of times on CC. I have to believe this guy is real, but as many times as I have been to San Juan, I've never seen him.:rolleyes:

Heck! I visit Old San Juan several times a YEAR and I've never ran into this guy yet. And it's not for a lack of trying, trust me. I'm dying for a candid selfie with this guy. LOL

[pghsteelerfan]

Heck! I visit Old San Juan several times a YEAR and I've never ran into this guy yet. And it's not for a lack of trying, trust me. I'm dying for a candid selfie with this guy. LOL

 

Sorry for the hijack, but hello Stinger-pr! I've been thinking about you and all of the people of PR and hope you made out OK through the hurricane. Glad to see you posting again!

 

We've been to San Juan a few times and spent time walking through Old San Juan and we have never seen him either. I keep imagining someone who looks like the "Mayhem" guy from the Allstate commercials. I hope you do run into him, would love to see a selfie!

[Stinger-pr]

Sorry for the hijack, but hello Stinger-pr! I've been thinking about you and all of the people of PR and hope you made out OK through the hurricane. Glad to see you posting again!

 

We've been to San Juan a few times and spent time walking through Old San Juan and we have never seen him either. I keep imagining someone who looks like the "Mayhem" guy from the Allstate commercials. I hope you do run into him, would love to see a selfie!

Hi there!! Thank you for your words and thoughts. They are very much appreciated. Recovery around the island is going well, except in some parts of the mountain areas. There are still whole towns with little power or running water. The more populated areas are for the most part recovered. Personally (and thankfully), I only suffered some inconveniences but no loss or major damage to property. But I hope I never have to go through such a powerful storm ever again!! The Courtyard Marriott suffered quite a lot of damage to the outside and inside but I'd say it's about 85% repaired. If I'd show you pictures you'd faint! All in all PR is back on it's feet. Some bumps and bruises and maybe a skinned knee but we're back!!

[pghsteelerfan]

Hi there!! Thank you for your words and thoughts. They are very much appreciated. Recovery around the island is going well, except in some parts of the mountain areas. There are still whole towns with little power or running water. The more populated areas are for the most part recovered. Personally (and thankfully), I only suffered some inconveniences but no loss or major damage to property. But I hope I never have to go through such a powerful storm ever again!! The Courtyard Marriott suffered quite a lot of damage to the outside and inside but I'd say it's about 85% repaired. If I'd show you pictures you'd faint! All in all PR is back on it's feet. Some bumps and bruises and maybe a skinned knee but we're back!!

 

SO GLAD to hear you made through with no major loss/property damage. I thought about you and your family AND all of the people who call Puerto Rico home. That would have been scary and I just can't imagine. I hope you never have to go through that again either. I'm also happy that the Courtyard is about 85% repaired. I think I saw here on CC that others mentioned staying there before/after cruises recently.

 

Believe it or not, I did see one picture of the lobby (with damage) at the Courtyard shortly after the hurricane hit. My husband works at Marriott and an email had circulated through his office with a link to an article written for "USA Today" by a reporter who wrote about what it was like "to ride out Hurricane Maria", which was very interesting, especially since we've stayed there twice. I actually saw a picture of what looks like the lobby of the Courtyard, with damage, that was attached. There is another picture and two videos in the article as well. Will attach the link. I'm sure the area where the buffet is had damage since it looked out to the beach (always loved those large windows and view). I'm sure the outside and landscaping took a hit too. I know I've said it before and I'll say it again, I would just love, love, LOVE to spend a week in PR for vacation some year since there is just so much more that we want to see and do there. We went to Hawaii for our 25th Anniversary, but now that we've been there, yes, I liked it, but I prefer the Caribbean since it's more our style. Again, so happy to see you are posting again and that power is being restored.

 

While many won't agree, I am happy to hear that our "scammer" survived and is back in *business*. Maybe one day we'll see him and I'd give him a donation if he agreed to a "selfie" with me. After all, he IS pretty famous now. :)

 

Here's that link:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/09/20/hurricane-maria-riding-out-the-storm-in-san-juan-puerto-rico/686651001/

Edited February 13, 2018 by pghsteelerfan

[melnemac32]

Hi All,

 

 

I just had to post to this thread... because we were on a cruise that stopped in San Juan over Memorial Day weekend and we ran into this guy!!!! I was like.... Oh my gosh! This is the guy that I read about on cruise critic! Thank you guys so much for posting this, because had I not already read this... we would have totally 100% fell for this scam.

 

 

This was our interaction with him...

 

He is a middle age white man that is dressed like a tourist, and he had a scab on his face. He came up to us and said, "Do you speak English?" and when we said that we did, he said, "Thank god! I've been trying to find someone that spoke English. My elderly father and I were up exploring the areas around the forts and we happened up a drug area and got robbed. I went back to the Sheraton and they didn't help me at all. They sent me to the police and when I got there they weren't expecting me, and we couldn't communicate with them. So now my dad and I are stranded and can't get back to our hotel. I am short about $8 for the cab ride, can you please help me out?" And I was like... oh my god! That's the exact story that I heard on cruise critic! This is the San Juan scammer! So we just told him that we didn't have money, and he was off like a rocket.

 

So everyone beware! This guy is still out there.

Edited June 13, 2018 by melnemac32

[lenquixote66]

Hi All,

 

 

I just had to post to this thread... because we were on a cruise that stopped in San Juan over Memorial Day weekend and we ran into this guy!!!! I was like.... Oh my gosh! This is the guy that I read about on cruise critic! Thank you guys so much for posting this, because had I not already read this... we would have totally 100% fell for this scam.

 

 

This was our interaction with him...

 

He is a middle age white man that is dressed like a tourist, and he had a scab on his face. He came up to us and said, "Do you speak English?" and when we said that we did, he said, "Thank god! I've been trying to find someone that spoke English. My elderly father and I were up exploring the areas around the forts and we happened up a drug area and got robbed. I went back to the Sheraton and they didn't help me at all. They sent me to the police and when I got there they weren't expecting me, and we couldn't communicate with them. So now my dad and I are stranded and can't get back to our hotel. I am short about $8 for the cab ride, can you please help me out?" And I was like... oh my god! That's the exact story that I heard on cruise critic! This is the San Juan scammer! So we just told him that we didn't have money, and he was off like a rocket.

 

So everyone beware! This guy is still out there.

Same scam,different person .We were approached last year by a guy in his 20's. He said he and his father were mugged and he needed $5 for a cab ride to his hotel.Before I had the chance to reply he began to run .I turned around and a police officer began to chase him .

[texsunny1]

I’ll

 

 

 

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[ChicoCA]

I was burned for $10 by this dude. He sells a great story!

[nicnic96]

Thank you CC! On Sunday we got off the Carnival Fascination rather early (8:30 am) and we were standing in front of the Aloha restaurant waiting on our shuttle when the infamous CC Scammer approached us. Tall, slender, middle aged white man with blond/brown hair, dressed like a tourist (dockers, unusual color polo shirt) with a scratch on his face, just like the prior posts. Does he use makeup or is it a birthmark? That's a scar that hasn't healed in 9 years!!:confused:

 

He asked if we spoke English and when we said yes he chuckled and said "well I speak Wisconsian". He started his story of being mugged and his dad was in the hospital and I immediately knew who I was dealing with. I wish I would have lured him to the authorities. On second thought, they certainly know him by now! Maybe I should have asked him to pose with us for a selfie...it took us 3 trips to meet the CC Scammer!:') Instead I interrupted him and said "I heard about you on Cruise Critic so you need to move along!" He said "have a nice day" and quickly walked away.

 

My wife said "what was that about?" and after I explained that he's been doing this for 10 YEARS she said "why would someone go through the trouble of making up such a story, why not just ask for money?" I said "because it works" and clearly it has for 10 years. I think she wanted to hunt him down. :D

[shoptom]

I asked him if he had change for a hundred and walked away with his $80, easy money.

[Desert Cruizers]

Thanks for the heads up, daughter & I won't be in SJ until March 2020 but will be paying attention.

[Evilgrin72]

I can't believe this guy is still out there running game. I chased him off years ago (may have even posted about it in this thread.) I'll be back in 3 weeks, wonder if we'll run into him again.

[journeycollector]

I'm glad I read these boards...we met the scammer himself on Dec. 8! That Saturday morning we were walking around OSJ and he approached us on the street near Plaza Colon. An older, well dressed man (dockers, button up shirt) walked passed us and then turned around and said, "Excuse me, do you speak English?" As soon as I head that, I immediately thought of the CC boards! He then launched a story about how his father was robbed while on a tour of the La Perla neighborhood (the shanty town between the two forts) and that all of their money was taken and his father was badly beaten. He just needed a "few dollars." The kicker was that he apologized for his Wisconsin accent. Umm, we live in Wisconsin and this guy didn't have a Wisconsin accent!!! But we didn't tell him that. We just waved him off and told him we couldn't help. He was very mild manner...in no way was the encounter threatening. I should have told him he was a "star" on the CC boards!

[springtx249]

Sounds like inflation has set in! 

[reeree313]

On ‎12‎/‎20‎/‎2018 at 12:05 AM, journeycollector said:

I'm glad I read these boards...we met the scammer himself on Dec. 8! That Saturday morning we were walking around OSJ and he approached us on the street near Plaza Colon. An older, well dressed man (dockers, button up shirt) walked passed us and then turned around and said, "Excuse me, do you speak English?" As soon as I head that, I immediately thought of the CC boards! He then launched a story about how his father was robbed while on a tour of the La Perla neighborhood (the shanty town between the two forts) and that all of their money was taken and his father was badly beaten. He just needed a "few dollars." The kicker was that he apologized for his Wisconsin accent. Umm, we live in Wisconsin and this guy didn't have a Wisconsin accent!!! But we didn't tell him that. We just waved him off and told him we couldn't help. He was very mild manner...in no way was the encounter threatening. I should have told him he was a "star" on the CC boards!

I DID tell him that he was famous on Cruise Critic. He walked away from me...very quickly!

 

Edited March 18, 2019 by reeree313
didn't finish my response