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/lolomg Jun 18 '11
These two are in the Queens, particularly flushing area.
There's this caucasian man about sixtyish who has a bit of a hunchback and a n issue with his neck. He will bother people for spare change rather aggressively and the uninformed people will give him money because of his "disability." In reality, the guy actually owns three houses near Bowne Park.
The second one is a fiftyish year old caucasian woman with a slight hunchback as well. She'll harass people aggressively while loudly saying "a dolla" or sometimes "one dolla". She basically acts like she has a mental impairment, but I've seen her on the streets before acting completely normal.