Around 6.oopm tonight a woman and child came to our door, child aged about 8. It was dark and cold and windy and probably raining. I didn't answer, I just looked out of the upstairs window and shouted 'hello?'. The woman said that the child's school was sponsoring a charity and would we like to contribute. I declined saying I contribute through my salary (my employer tops up and the charity don't pay tax etc...).
Now I think that it may have been a lie and she was begging. I mean what parent would take their child around on a night like tonight was asking for money for the British Heart Foundation? It doesn't ring true do you think?
Think is, I'm sure they came last year and I actually did give them two pounds. Doh.
Begging at my door ?????
I don't actually go to the door if I'm not expecting anyone after being harrassed by electricity salesmen (they just WOULD NOT go away). I open the window and talk through that. In anycase I wouldn't have wanted to embarrass the poor woman by asking for ID and suggesting she was lying. I would have just said "no thanks I give another way" and left it at that. Last time I was caught off guard with a sponsor form the child was holding and I didn't think I'd been conned until the other night when it happened again. Its such a shame.
-
Blushingsnail
- Posts: 73
- Joined: 20 Jul 2006 10:38
- Location: Forest Hill
Be aware that this might be more serious than conning you out of a few pounds for a non-existent charity event. Something similar happened in Forest Hill over the summer (teenagers knocking on doors with 'sponsorship forms') and was discussed on SE23.com. I came across one of our councillor's reports from a Safer Neighbourhood Ward panel meeting, in which the local police suggested this might actually be an attempt at 'artifice burglary', ie gaining entry to your house in order to steal from you.
These latest activities might 'just' be a doorstep scam, but be careful: DO NOT LET THESE PEOPLE INTO YOUR HOME.
Personally I would now report anyone suspicious coming to the door to my local Safer Neighbourhood Team. Contact details here: http://www.met.police.uk/saferneighbour ... htm#00AZGL
And also alert your neighbours, especially if any of them are vulnerable, eg elderly living alone etc.
These latest activities might 'just' be a doorstep scam, but be careful: DO NOT LET THESE PEOPLE INTO YOUR HOME.
Personally I would now report anyone suspicious coming to the door to my local Safer Neighbourhood Team. Contact details here: http://www.met.police.uk/saferneighbour ... htm#00AZGL
And also alert your neighbours, especially if any of them are vulnerable, eg elderly living alone etc.
Isn't the best idea to ask for identification, and only report to the police if they are not able to produce any suitable ID? You need to be cautious, yes, but not paranoid. Savvy, I don't think you would have embarrassed the woman if she was genuinely collecting for charity - asking for ID is perfectly reasonable and she should have been prepared for that.
I'm not trying to be argumentative (bearing in mind Scott's post from yesterday!) I just think we need to remember that we all will encounter genuine charity workers collecting donations from time to time - these people have good intentions, and reporting them all to the police just wastes police team and may prevent them from catching the real scammers.
I'm not trying to be argumentative (bearing in mind Scott's post from yesterday!) I just think we need to remember that we all will encounter genuine charity workers collecting donations from time to time - these people have good intentions, and reporting them all to the police just wastes police team and may prevent them from catching the real scammers.
Thanks Blushing Snail and Natbeuk,
My stance is that if a woman is so desperate for money that she has to beg around the streets with a child then she deserves my sympathy - and although I wouldn't give her any money I'm not going to shame her further by 'catching her out' asking for ID. (She knew that I knew that she knew that I knew, if you know what I mean - no need to rub it in)
If it had been teenagers I would have very likely informed the safer neighbourhoods team as that would have been a different matter - most teenagers don't need to beg in gangs by knocking on people's doors.
My stance is that if a woman is so desperate for money that she has to beg around the streets with a child then she deserves my sympathy - and although I wouldn't give her any money I'm not going to shame her further by 'catching her out' asking for ID. (She knew that I knew that she knew that I knew, if you know what I mean - no need to rub it in)
If it had been teenagers I would have very likely informed the safer neighbourhoods team as that would have been a different matter - most teenagers don't need to beg in gangs by knocking on people's doors.
Savvy wrote:My stance is that if a woman is so desperate for money that she has to beg around the streets with a child then she deserves my sympathy
Unfortunately I don't have much sympathy. It is my belief that a lot of beggers that use children/babies as a "lever" are often organised into gangs to fleece as many people as possible. If someone is in desperate need for help there are appropriate places where they can go to seek help....
(but didn't you say she was collecting for charity rather than begging?)
Yes, she said she was but I was suspicous because of the weather and how dark it was - and there was just something about her that didn't ring true. But even if she had been genuine I don't give money to charity in that way. A. Because she had a child in tow on a pretty miserable night and B. Its an inefficient way of giving.