Scammer on city streets
The public has been warned of a scammer in Cork city who has been looking for help by claiming that his belongings were stolen.
The man, who is said to be well dressed, is telling people that he flew in from Amsterdam and that his bags, passport and credit card were stolen.
A man called Andy said he was approached by this man six weeks ago and again this week with the same story.
Andy told ‘The Opinion Line’ on Cork’s 96FM: “He told me on the verge of tears, he said ‘please man you’ve got to help me, this is so embarrassing. I’m not homeless, I’ve never asked anyone anything my whole life but I f***ed up. I just flew in from Amsterdam today and my bags, passport and credit card were stolen. I’ve rang the guards, they’re going to find a place for me to stay tonight’.”
Andy continued: “The guy approached me six weeks ago. I’m 22, just finished college, taking the year out so I’m not exactly well off. He was very very well dressed. The guy was so convincing, he was crying in front of me telling me about his wife at home and how he’s stranded.
“I didn’t have much on me but gave the guy a fiver, and for the next few days, I regretted not helping him more. I could’ve gone to the ATM and taken out €50. He was even hinting at this and said he’d take my bank details and transfer the money as soon as he got himself sorted out. But I was on the way to the train station, so didn’t go the extra mile for him.”
Andy was speaking to the radio programme on Tuesday. He added: “Then just today, I just got off work early and I’m walking over the bridge to the train station by Jury’s Inn when the same guy comes up to me.
“He said: ‘Man I’m so sorry to stop you but please, look at me, I’m not homeless, will you please listen to me’. He starts telling me the exact same story again. I replied, ‘hang on I’ll stop you there bud, you approached me six weeks ago with the same story’. I kid you not, the guy stops his whimpering and crying immediately and just says ‘oh, sorry’ really distantly and walks past me. I shouted after him calling him this and that.”
Andy concluded: “Are you serious like? The homelessness in Cork is reaching a horrendous point and this prick is trying to scam people.
“He has the audacity to guilt people, and I hope no elderly people have been stopped by him, but to guilt people when a homeless person would genuinely feel so embarrassed to beg to that level. I don’t know if he was just a five-star actor shafting people for extra money or if he’s a coke head. The guy looked so well-off!”
When asked about the situtation, An Garda Síochána said it couldn’t comment on any third party organisations.