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

[jstraw20]

He approached us when we were there a couple of weeks ago. I told him of his internet fame, and also advised him not to try running a New York scam when a ship from New York was in port. :p

[frito58]

There must be an organization of scammers! In Memphis, an older woman with grand-son

in tow, asked for food money, then headed for liquor store! Kroger parking lot in

Cincinnati, man asked me for $20 for gas, wife & new baby need ride home, mother-in-law has broken leg, his car out of gas. Told him someone in Kroger would call agency to

help him. Became angry, walked away and went to another person.

 

Actually this is becoming a quite popular SCAM people need to be aware of. Its being used all over . It happened to my Brother here in Central Ohio as well . People are using a version of it the yada yada I ran out of gas , I need to get home could you spare X amount and then if you watch them they head across the parking the lot to someone else And away they go.

[lah66]

I am hoping Karen, a fellow CC'er who was on our Easter Brilliance cruise will come on here and tell you her story!

She did meet him and graciously waited for him to tell her his whole spiel and then she went on to tell him how popular he is on CC! He was so offended that he wasted all his time telling her the story when all along she knew he was a scam! Too funny!

[janabm81]

We've run into him multiple times. You'd think that with as many people telling him that they know the spiel and that he's famous on the internet, that he'd change up his story just a little bit and try to throw us off track!:rolleyes:

[Lsimon]

What makes you think there is only one person involved in this scam?

 

I continue to be amazed at the number of people who post of experiences where they confront this person, or persons, or draw out the conversation in any way.

 

While there has been no indication that these scam artists are violent they are none the less criminals who may be desperate for cash and unpredictable. The only course of action I'd recommend if approached would be to say sorry ASAP and walk away towards the direction of other people.

[LuvBNatC]

I'm the Karen lah66 was talking about.

 

We hadn't been in SJ an hour on Good Friday evening, and were walking just down the block from the Hotel Milano on Fortaleeza when this tall, thin white man with short-cropped gray hair, wire-rimmed glasses, and a tiny bandage across the bridge of his nose approached my friend and asked her if she spoke English.

 

He was wearing a clean plaid short-sleeved shirt and light gray or khaki pants.

 

I listened to him for a few minutes before realizing this was THE GUY. First he tried to be helpful, warning us away from certain areas of SJ as being too dangerous, then told how his father had gotten beat up.

 

It took him a really long time to get to the pitch, but he finally asked us for $5 or $6 for a cab.

 

That's when I said, "Did you know you're really famous? People write online about you all the time."

 

He just looked at me for a moment, then got irritated and said, "If you know me, then why did you let me waste my time going through my whole spiel? Are you just trying to be a smart-ass?"

 

Then he turned and vanished into the night.

 

I don't think anybody's gotten his picture because he wouldn't stick around to let it happen. He's like a human Loch Ness Monster and you'd only get his back.

 

I feel very lucky to have been insulted by the most famous guy in San Juan. :D

[ibcnusoon]

I thought someone posted a picture here last year of him, a photo of him in the distance crossing the street.

[LuvBNatC]

That could be so, ibcnusoon. I haven't seen that photo. But it bears out what I said. You'd do best to catch him at a distance because I don't think he's into doing photo ops if he hates "wasting his time" telling his story without a payoff.

 

CC members are bad for business! :)

 

Karen

[lah66]

Karen, Thanks for coming and telling your story! Hilarious!! And the way you tell it makes it that much better!

Do you have another cruise booked? Our time on the ship went way too quickly! Looking forward to my next cruise on the Gem the end of Oct with just the girls!

Lauri

[jstraw20]

a tiny bandage across the bridge of his nose

 

Wow that must be a some wound, he had a bandage on his nose when we ran into him on March 9th. :D

[LuvBNatC]

jstraw, RE: the bandaged nose. Maybe he just keeps walking into doors with his glasses on! :eek:

 

I'm thinking he wears it to add a note of authenticity. But really, after being told umpteen times people are on to him, you'd think he'd mix up the story a bit to surprise a few bucks out of us.

 

Maybe next he'll turn to Cover Girl blush and start smearing on some fake welts and bruises.

 

Lauri, no new cruise booked yet, but I'm giving it serious thought. Maybe a westbound t/a in the fall. I love the sea days. This past Brilliance cruise was too hectic for me (only one sea day), even though I did nothing but wander around for a while off the ship. My energetic roomie did shore excursions in every port but St. Thomas (it was rained out).

 

Karen

[scooby4048]

My co-worker just returned from San Juan vacationing in the Condado area and ran into this guy near the hospital, and he is still telling the same story, my co-says that he suggested to the gentelmen that he stay away from that area as he ran into this guy on his last vacation to San Juan as well......:eek:

 

He says the guy was not bloddy and beat up but he did look rough...

He also warned me about a guy that is on the trolley, and he's licking his phone and talking to himself....:confused:

[shawne71]

Met him tonight outside the Marriott in Condado. We let him finish his speech, then I told him that I've read about him on CC, then he took off down the street. I feel like I've just met someone famous! :p

[sail7seas]

This guy is amazing. He must be making a good living off his game as he has been doing this for years.

 

Thanks for the latest 'sighting'. :)

 

Enjoy San Juan.

[Platypus_72]

My fiancee and I were in San Juan in January of 2013. We were on a downtown shopping excursion through Carnival and this man started following us. When he asked if we spoke English, we made the mistake of turning around and saying "yes." He told us a very rehearsed story about how he was staying at the Hilton and that he and his father were robbed and that he needed money for a cab to get to the hospital to see his father. We said no, and he kept repeatedly asking. He tried to grab at my purse, and we took off running through downtown to get as far away from him as possible. So scary!

[bouhunter]

Met him tonight outside the Marriott in Condado. We let him finish his speech, then I told him that I've read about him on CC, then he took off down the street. I feel like I've just met someone famous! :p

 

Too funny he's still at it. We've spent probably 20 nights in San Juan the past 6-7 years and haven't met him yet, I feel left out:D

[Jenna1983]

This guy sounds more relentless than the gypsies at the Eiffel Tower. He won't want to meet me and even the gypsies didn't like me (I promise I'm normally super sweet but don't tolerate this type of stuff).

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Funsince1983]

We just had the pleasure about a month ago. We were sitting on a bench by Carli's Fine Jazz & Bistro, in the Banco Popular building when he walked up to us. As he was going on & on I got nervous for a minute thinking our walking tour was heading where he claimed he was coming from, then it clicked! I looked at my husband & said "Honey! I read about this guy on the internet!" of course he then took off across the street to prowl on some more innocent people. Husband was sooo pissed that I stirred the pot.. not that that's anything new. ;)

 

His story that day was also that he was in on a cruise ship & needed the taxi money to get back to the pier, hubby was like "uhhh.. we just walked here, why can't you walk THERE?" Nevermind the fact that all the other ships had already left the port, we were the only ones there & hadn't been there long enough for him to get to the fort, get mugged, go to the hospital, blah blah. He needs some brushing up.

Edited February 22, 2014 by Funsince1983

[ibcnusoon]

We just had the pleasure about a month ago. We were sitting on a bench by Carli's Fine Jazz & Bistro, in the Banco Popular building when he walked up to us. As he was going on & on I got nervous for a minute thinking our walking tour was heading where he claimed he was coming from, then it clicked! I looked at my husband & said "Honey! I read about this guy on the internet!" of course he then took off across the street to prowl on some more innocent people. Husband was sooo pissed that I stirred the pot.. not that that's anything new. ;)

 

His story that day was also that he was in on a cruise ship & needed the taxi money to get back to the pier, hubby was like "uhhh.. we just walked here, why can't you walk THERE?" Nevermind the fact that all the other ships had already left the port, we were the only ones there & hadn't been there long enough for him to get to the fort, get mugged, go to the hospital, blah blah. He needs some brushing up.

 

 

hahahha... maybe it was a wanna be. It's amazing this guy hasn't been arrested.

[Funsince1983]

hahahha... maybe it was a wanna be. It's amazing this guy hasn't been arrested.

Apparently he has been. With over $3,000 on him.

[Lard Greystoke]

Apparently he has been. With over $3,000 on him.

 

Maybe people should start asking HIM for money.

[FireStation46]

I had a guy ask me if I wanted some weed when we hit Nassau. I ignored him and moved on. There is a scam there where one guy sells you the weed and his relative is a cop and busts you shortly thereafter. Growing up in the Bronx we walk and talk differently and these yo-yos look for another target real fast. Enjoy you vacation where ever you go but always treat strangers approaching you as a sing to be prepared. If the just want a bit of info, fine. If they try and sell you or ask you for money, move on. Guys, keep your wallet in your front pocket with your hand over it. Be safe all!

[AllAmericanAmy]

Things I am SURE about:

I'll never see the Loch Ness Monster.

I'll never see Bigfoot running thru the forest.

I'll never find a pot of gold, or a leprechaun for that matter.

 

HOWEVER:

 

I will be spending a week in San Juan March27- Apr 3 (2014). We'll DEFINITELY look like tourists and will be SURE to watch for this guy. We'll try to snap a picture for y'all if we do cross paths with him! Off to make a note in my "travel folder" to remind us to be vigilant watching for him! :)

 

Wish us luck....

Amy

Edited March 1, 2014 by AllAmericanAmy

[Lard Greystoke]

We'll DEFINITELY look like tourists and will be SURE to watch for this guy.

 

If you see him, tell him to watch out for muggers.

[FireStation46]

If you see him, tell him to watch out for muggers.

 

Or big guys from the Bronx :eek::D