Yesterday evening as I was on my way home from the Gator Nats and hanging out with John n Jen / the Funny Car and crew. I stopped for gas after getting off the highway on my exit. As I was filling up the Riv a guy in a black SUV pulls up and ask for help. newer car, well dressed woman and kids in the car. Heavy indian accent shows me his gas gauge is on empty says he's traveling and has lost his wallet. Need gas and money for food for the family. Normally when this happens, and it does from time to time I'll just fill their tank and be on my way. This guy pulls off a big gold ring and hand it to me ask for the gas and 100.00. Tell him I only have 32.00 in cash. He takes it for the ring then pulls off a big gold chain. 200.00 for the bling. I dont want it, not my style again I tell him I have no money. just gave you my last cash. Stranger points out theres an ATM inside. Not letting him in on what I have in the bank but again say I dont have it. He goes down to 100.00 pushes the chain into my hands. I give in and pull the cash out of the ATM. Hand it to him and get into the Riv then leave for the house. My wife worked for several years in the pawn shop and knows a bit about jewelry says the stuff looks real. Stamped 18K. Weighs nearly 4 Oz. Even if its not Im only burned for 130.00 and a tank of gas. If this pans out it could go along way towards the next engine build.
Seems like it could only happen to you Steve! That's kinda cool, I hope it turns out well, keep us posted! Or if its even better than it seems, I hope you enjoy the new house in Costa Rica
I bet it's on the level. If I was in a foreign country and lost my wallet, I'd be willing to give up just about any possession I had with me to get some gas or cash or whatever. We've all been trained so well to sniff out a scam that when a legitimate need arises we think it MUST be a scam. What would you do if you were broke and out of gas with a language barrier? Good Job Briz!!
Maybe I just have become too jaded and cynical. maybe its my NY upbringing or working in Queens. I smell a rat.
You are a good man sir. And yes this was a risk. But I believe in karma and you did good. If it turns out you were conned, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You made a call and it is what it is. It's on them for conning you.
You dont loose almost 5k in gold because you dont have gas to get to a pawn shop, I call major BS,...and if you do its because it wasn't yours to give
As it was going down I felt the same way. My spidey senses were going crazy. after I pulled out a second thought came to me.. Should have got a picture of his plates or had him write down his info. If the car was a rental the personal info would be on the paper work by that time I was well down the road. I was in as far as I was willing to go and stopped short of taking the guys " Rolex" for another hundred. Will have to checked tomorrow to see if its real. If so I'll probably melt it down.
This was a big scam up here last year. I kicked them out of My parking lot 5 or 6 times last summer and the cops arrested them at the gas station up the street. Good luck but it don't seem right.
Steve, you have a good heart and sometimes we get taken advantage of but we sleep good. We don't know who is legit and who isn't. I helped two women once at a truck stop in South Carolina in a piece of junk car with an infant who needed gas and food. Filled the tank, bought food at the speed burger and gave them $20 for baby items. On my return trip 5 days later here come the same two women, same piece of junk car, same truck stop, same scam, actually don't recognize me and try it again. I said "you really don't remember me from earlier this week"? They give me a snide remark and proceed to another guy. You'd think they'd leave, incredible boldness! I got the manager who called the sheriff. The women continued their scam until cops arrive and haul them off. All that said I will help someone who asks because I don't know the backstory. I will fill their tank, give them $20-30 for food but no more (I've blown money on stuff before). If they are scamming me they will face judgement/karma later but if they are truly in trouble who knows what I just saved them from. Mikey
You did what you felt was the right thing to do. I would hope that if I ever had a problem that a person like you was there to help me out. It sucks that you may have gotten screwed over.
You have to be careful. Some jewelry is stamped 10k 14k 18k and is just JUNK. Found a decent looking necklace at a garage sale once and it was stamped 14k and wound up being JUNK. Good thing I only paid $1. On the other end of it. I had a bag of what I thought was junk jewelry and had a friend stop over. He was meeting a gold buyer at my house. He pulled a ring out of my junk bag and it was 10k gold. He gave me $50 and I was happy.
