but then again, maybe not. I'll never know, but I did what I felt was right at the moment. Let me explain.
Today I went to Walmart to buy birdseed and cat food. In the parking lot a nicely dressed woman approached me. She had just gotten out of a late model sedan parked next to me and proceeded to tell me her purse had been stolen out of her car. She had no money, not even for gas... Could I spare some cash? She had a desperate look on her face, so I gave her a few dollars, remembering that once my purse had been stolen and it was a horrible experience.
The woman thanked me profusely and further explained that she had left her purse in the car and her boys (teenagers) had forgotten to lock the doors. She said her purse contained her Social Security card and theirs, too, along with her cash and credit cards. I asked if she'd reported it to the police. She hesitated, then said she had but was told there was nothing the PD could do.
On the way home I reflected about the experience and began to think that maybe I'd just been scammed. I remembered that when I parked my car, the woman had also just parked hers and two boys got out and went into the store. As I drove away, I saw the boys return to their mother's car with a small bag.
If this was legitimate "emergency," then I did the right thing. But if she "had no money," how did the boys pay for their purchase? The experience made me think about the importance of being cautious and using common sense, myself included. In hindsight:
1. Why tempt fate by leaving your purse in the car?
2. Double-check your car is locked instead of depending on teens who aren't always careful.
3. Keep your SS cards in a safe place at home.
4. An emergency cash stash at home can save you in a pinch.
Maybe I got scammed...
October 4th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
October 4th, 2009 at 10:29 pm 1254695388
How nice of you to help her!
October 5th, 2009 at 12:04 am 1254701088
1. You have a heart of gold.
2. Even if she was a scammer, she is, by far, one of the nicest scammers I've ever read anywhere.
So, you either met a very kind scammer, or you met a very desperate woman who was badly need of your help. Either way, I hope that it brought you a good, fuzzy feeling for helping this person out.
October 5th, 2009 at 01:41 am 1254706874
October 5th, 2009 at 02:28 pm 1254752890
October 5th, 2009 at 04:45 pm 1254761125
October 5th, 2009 at 10:06 pm 1254780383