What to do if you see beggars with little children

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:video of this scam in the DMV... and if you google they are doing this all over the country.

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/fake-violin-player-scam-warning-issued-by-montgomery-county-police-hustle-reported-nationwide

Frankly I don't care whether they can play for real or not, it's the fact that they drag toddlers and babies out for hours to hang out in busy parking lots in the process

If I see a guy standing outside all day pretending to play a fake violin, I’m giving $1! That takes dedication!

My problem is not the fake violin playing, although it’s annoying and I’ll never give them money. It’s the children forced to sit there and smile and wave. I want CPS to take them away.

Not much worse than being forced to sit in church being brainwashed into a cult. Should we call CPS on my evangelical homeschooling neighbor just because I can craft some plausible sounding narrative to support my hate?

🙄

[Anonymous]

I let the manager of the store or the owner of the shopping mall know who runs them off. Most prohibit soliciting on private property. There is one who “plays” a violin and another who sits in the cold with their dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I let the manager of the store or the owner of the shopping mall know who runs them off. Most prohibit soliciting on private property. There is one who “plays” a violin and another who sits in the cold with their dog.

Are you using quotes because the violin music is actually coming from a speaker? If so, you are right, this is a super common scam, I have seen a similar set up - family with two or three kids, one on a violin but music is actually coming from a speaker - in no less than four cities in four different states. I live in a town outside a larger city and have seen the same family outside of two different Whole Foods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nothing.

I'm from Paris, where I've been immunized by years of having to literally step over gypsy women with decoratively dirty infants on Metro steps, sent there to beg by the gypsy "mafia". Begging and pick-pocketing is what they do professionally, and it's terrible for the kids who are dragooned into it and lose any chance at integrating into society.

Do not encourage beggars on highway dividers, it's extremely dangerous for them to stand there, and please do not enable those with children from doing the same. There are homeless shelters, there are women and children centers, there are food pantries, and even though none of these things are perfect, it's still safer than standing a hair's breadth from passing cars.

The gypsy women and fake shoesless children are always in front of sacre cour.

[Anonymous]

There's a fake hispanic woman beggar with a baby and sign that rides the red line. Funny how baby is exact same age, weight and height 2.5 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing.

I'm from Paris, where I've been immunized by years of having to literally step over gypsy women with decoratively dirty infants on Metro steps, sent there to beg by the gypsy "mafia". Begging and pick-pocketing is what they do professionally, and it's terrible for the kids who are dragooned into it and lose any chance at integrating into society.

Do not encourage beggars on highway dividers, it's extremely dangerous for them to stand there, and please do not enable those with children from doing the same. There are homeless shelters, there are women and children centers, there are food pantries, and even though none of these things are perfect, it's still safer than standing a hair's breadth from passing cars.

How do I get the info on all these resources and pass it to them? Maybe give them a brochure how to get help? I work for a living full time and have my own kids, so not really volunteering anywhere and have no idea how to help, and I know giving them money will only worsen the problem.

I don't know if it was mentioned yet, but they can contact 211 for resources in their area.

[Anonymous]

I give fruit and occasionally if the kids look really spent, a candy bar. It isn’t the kids’ fault that their parents are scammers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a fake hispanic woman beggar with a baby and sign that rides the red line. Funny how baby is exact same age, weight and height 2.5 years ago.

Fake Hispanic, like a gypsy?

[Anonymous]

Oh look another DCUM bashing of the panhandlers thread.

[Anonymous]

I always feel worse when I see a homeless person with a dog.

[Anonymous]

The median beggars in NOVA frequently leave the piles of unopened drinks and snacks after their shift. They only want cash.

I consider median beggars and fake violinists an organized scam and I don’t give them anything or engage. I choose to give my money to churches and charities to assist the needy.

[Anonymous]

If I’m heading into Walmart when I see them, I always pick up a few cheap cans of beans and/or baby food and give it to them. They always give me a quizzical, confused look….like where’s the cash?😂🤣

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing.

I'm from Paris, where I've been immunized by years of having to literally step over gypsy women with decoratively dirty infants on Metro steps, sent there to beg by the gypsy "mafia". Begging and pick-pocketing is what they do professionally, and it's terrible for the kids who are dragooned into it and lose any chance at integrating into society.

Do not encourage beggars on highway dividers, it's extremely dangerous for them to stand there, and please do not enable those with children from doing the same. There are homeless shelters, there are women and children centers, there are food pantries, and even though none of these things are perfect, it's still safer than standing a hair's breadth from passing cars.

How do I get the info on all these resources and pass it to them? Maybe give them a brochure how to get help? I work for a living full time and have my own kids, so not really volunteering anywhere and have no idea how to help, and I know giving them money will only worsen the problem.

They don't want resources. It's a scam because the woman collect the money with their kids in tow and give it to some men who then redistributes a tiny portion back to them. This is the woman's job. The card they had you that says they don't speak English is BS. They speak English. If you really think about it, they are terrible parents to drag their kids around into these kind of situations in parking lots and median strips in bad weather. Do you really think this is the thing little kids want to spend their days doing? This was a much bigger thing back in the 80s/90s and then the police cracked down on it.

I honestly think the best thing to do is to say get out of here or I will call CPS to come talk to you about how to take care of your kids. Yes, I did this once and the woman started cursing at me in English so she knew exactly what she was doing was wrong and that she was scamming people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s a scam. There’s a welfare system. They are trying to play on your emotions.

+1

Oldest trick in the book. This is organized crime. Give money to an official cause, not people on the street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The median beggars in NOVA frequently leave the piles of unopened drinks and snacks after their shift. They only want cash.

I consider median beggars and fake violinists an organized scam and I don’t give them anything or engage. I choose to give my money to churches and charities to assist the needy.

+1

THIS. If people stop giving, the fake beggars will stop harassing people on every traffic median.