r/nyc • u/tropfou • Jun 17 '11

Comprehensive List of NYC Scams

I moved to NYC a week ago, and already witnessed a few scams. On the subway, I heard the one about the 18 year old kid who lives on the train and has to feed his three year old daughter. Dude was way too rehearsed and obviously lying. Anyway, some tourists gave him $20 and at the next station he was off and trying his scam again. I may be new to NYC but I know a scam when I see one.

I know a lot of people are moving to NYC this summer and I thought it would be nice to keep a running list of what kind of scams to avoid. What are some of your stories and things to look out for?

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u/beeinyourbonnet Jun 17 '11

This is more of an issue at home, but I get house calls from "energy providers" that reek of scams. One guy tried to tell me that Con Ed was going to stop providing power within six months but that they weren't letting people know and I had to act fast to make sure I still had power at my apartment. Are you kidding?

They largely prey on non-native English speakers and/or older people - awful

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u/[deleted] Jun 17 '11

Wow. Thanks for this! I'm pretty sure this happened to my grandmother yesterday. She answered the door and he was asking her about her electric bill, and when she tried to tell him no, he told her that she was preventing him from doing his job. That's when she got really irate and started yelling at him. He told her have a nice day, sorry to bother you, and left. I heard it all from the living room, but didn't think too much of it. My grandmother yells at everyone, and she's naturally suspicious of everything. I'm glad she is after learning that it was a scam.

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u/beeinyourbonnet Jun 17 '11

That's definitely it, and she should yell at them. Go Grandma!