What to do if you see beggars with little children

[Anonymous]

I give them cash. No questions asked. I can spare a few bucks.

[Anonymous]

A lot of the refugees being settled here have no way to support themselves yet and are doing this. They legit need the help. Social
Services and welfare only go so far. Either help or don’t, but not every single situation is a scam. If they have young kids and no childcare arrangement that’s probably why the kids are with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the refugees being settled here have no way to support themselves yet and are doing this.

How do you know this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the refugees being settled here have no way to support themselves yet and are doing this. They legit need the help. Social
Services and welfare only go so far. Either help or don’t, but not every single situation is a scam. If they have young kids and no childcare arrangement that’s probably why the kids are with them.

The children I have seen are definitely not recent refugees. There’s one family or “family” by the Costco in NE who has been doing the same thing for years, and sometimes at the Whole Foods in Riverdale there is awful amplified music and children forced to smile and wave who are clearly part of a scam ring of some kind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the refugees being settled here have no way to support themselves yet and are doing this. They legit need the help. Social
Services and welfare only go so far. Either help or don’t, but not every single situation is a scam. If they have young kids and no childcare arrangement that’s probably why the kids are with them.

This. I assume that if the parent could afford childcare they wouldn’t be begging on a street corner.

[Anonymous]

The "family" that begs at the McLean Giant from time to time is definitely a gypsy scam of sorts. They even pretend to play the violin, I remember the first few times seeing the dad playing the violin connected to a small loudspeaker and thought wow, he's good. Then about the 3-4th time I saw the wife was "playing" and it was clear that she wasn't really playing and that it was a recording of a violin they were playing through the loudspeaker. Googled it a few days later and sure enough others had confirmed this is one of their scams - family with toddler in stroller + cardboard sign begging for $ + heart string pulling violin music. Google gypsies begging for money and you will find it is indeed a cult-like racket for some gypsy groups

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the refugees being settled here have no way to support themselves yet and are doing this. They legit need the help. Social
Services and welfare only go so far. Either help or don’t, but not every single situation is a scam. If they have young kids and no childcare arrangement that’s probably why the kids are with them.

The children I have seen are definitely not recent refugees. There’s one family or “family” by the Costco in NE who has been doing the same thing for years, and sometimes at the Whole Foods in Riverdale there is awful amplified music and children forced to smile and wave who are clearly part of a scam ring of some kind.

Yep. I can tell just by looking at them. I know they are up to no good. I don’t need to talk to anyone since I know their life story from how they speak and dress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The "family" that begs at the McLean Giant from time to time is definitely a gypsy scam of sorts. They even pretend to play the violin, I remember the first few times seeing the dad playing the violin connected to a small loudspeaker and thought wow, he's good. Then about the 3-4th time I saw the wife was "playing" and it was clear that she wasn't really playing and that it was a recording of a violin they were playing through the loudspeaker. Googled it a few days later and sure enough others had confirmed this is one of their scams - family with toddler in stroller + cardboard sign begging for $ + heart string pulling violin music. Google gypsies begging for money and you will find it is indeed a cult-like racket for some gypsy groups

The crazy part of the fake instrument playing to me is that it sounds so bad. Why not have a nice-sounding recording?

[Anonymous]

It’s a scam and they are usually done by the same families who do the fake violin playing. Typically you see a woman with children and The men are the fake violin players.

Scam scam scam. I feel 0 pity for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the refugees being settled here have no way to support themselves yet and are doing this.

How do you know this?

I just know. So many people on here lump everyone all together and it’s just not true. Some of these people actually need help but because some random person was a scammer doesn’t mean you treat everyone as a scammer. Like I said, either help or don’t, do what feels right for you. But don’t go spreading false information.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

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!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the refugees being settled here have no way to support themselves yet and are doing this. They legit need the help. Social
Services and welfare only go so far. Either help or don’t, but not every single situation is a scam. If they have young kids and no childcare arrangement that’s probably why the kids are with them.

This. I assume that if the parent could afford childcare they wouldn’t be begging on a street corner.

Why do they need both parents present for "childcare?" Can't one parent work and the other watch the kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of the refugees being settled here have no way to support themselves yet and are doing this. They legit need the help. Social
Services and welfare only go so far. Either help or don’t, but not every single situation is a scam. If they have young kids and no childcare arrangement that’s probably why the kids are with them.

This. I assume that if the parent could afford childcare they wouldn’t be begging on a street corner.

Why do they need both parents present for "childcare?" Can't one parent work and the other watch the kids?

I guess you don’t have all the info so why do you feel like you know enough to judge a stranger?

[Anonymous]

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.