Charity Scam and begging

I went into the downtown Plaza Centre Coop this afternoon and in between the entrance doors there was a young guy standing there asking if I want to donate to the SPCA.He had one of those cans that are left by charities by the cash registers.I said no thanks to donating.I go to the customer service because I was really suspicious.I ask the lady there if they actually collecting for the SPCA.She didn't know so she calls another lady she goes to the front entrance.Don't know what happened but he wasn't there when I left the store.

So sad people do this and ruin for those who really are looking for donations.

What a jerk!

That's terrible.

Also watch out for the guys that frequent the mall and grocery store parking lots. His story is hes stranded and collecting money for a bus ticket. Sometimes the wife is sick. I have been confronted by the same guy a couple times. Hes at it again as my BF was hit up at sobeys lot. I think people are on to him as he said people kept saying no.

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Originally Posted by Keeks

Also watch out for the guys that frequent the mall and grocery store parking lots. His story is hes stranded and collecting money for a bus ticket. Sometimes the wife is sick. I have been confronted by the same guy a couple times. Hes at it again as my BF was hit up at sobeys lot. I think people are on to him as he said people kept saying no.

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Young kid? Like in his 20's? Or no, lol!

Yupp, I had that kid hit me up last summer. I told him I thought it was odd that he was asking for money for a bus ticket, when he is riding a bike....he took off VERY FAST after I said that lol!

If it's the same kid/guy we are all talking about...a friend of mine says he is addicted to meth, and is also the person who is the cause of many car break in's at the village mall/parkland mall area.

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Originally Posted by Eeyah

Yupp, I had that kid hit me up last summer. I told him I thought it was odd that he was asking for money for a bus ticket, when he is riding a bike....he took off VERY FAST after I said that lol!

If it's the same kid/guy we are all talking about...a friend of mine says he is addicted to meth, and is also the person who is the cause of many car break in's at the village mall/parkland mall area.

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Nah, not same guy.

I had time to listen to this guy's story... crazy, and a lot like other people that just can't make it work the way the system currently is. Think of the "Golden Voice" man...

If you have a record for even something minor, years back, you can't get "this" to get "that," which you need to get "this"... it's a horrible cycle!

I bought this guy some chili at Tim Hortons, lol! But no money!

My Mum told me a man asked her the other day for some money for cigarettes.She said no.

That is so frustrating, it turns people off of making donations to actual causes!

I was walking to the mall and an old guy wanted to sell me a joke book.It looked like a small white paper pamphlet.I said no.The other week another old guy wanted to sell me a fish joke book looked the same as tonight's booklet.I said no.Anyone else get these guys bugging them?What a weird way to beg for money.I'm not opening my wallet until I get inside a store to buy something for myself.I don't trust people not to knock me down and grab my purse if I opened my purse in front of them.

I was approached by an middle age guy with mustache and dark brown hair, tall, skinny. Asked me if I wanted to buy his gift card for Wal Mart that had $100 on it and was giving it to me for $20 (He did show me the card and he was saying he didnt need it so he was trying to get some cash for it). I said no thanks and he walked away. Assumed he stopped next person he saw on the parking lot. But boy, anyone can get those empty gift cards and try to pass them as loaded for cheaper. You just have to be smarter than the crook.

what a jerk, he probably stole that SPCA tin, there are still plenty of jobs out there if someone needs extra $$$.

All these panhandlers get on my nerves. I never give them money, but have given them food. Like a snack bar I keep on hand for the kids. There was a young guy hanging out at the north Shoppers. He came to my car as I was getting out. I told him to NEVER approach people while they are getting out their vehicles.

Like Marny, my husband also gives food. He works with community during night and sees lots of old people that are homeless walking at all kinds of hours. And he feels sad for them because they are old and especially in the winter time, he likes to stop them and offer them coffee or hot chocolate to keep them warm. He usually will drive them to nearest Tim Hortons and buy them whatever food they want. But he will refuse to give money to anyone, most of the times (but not always) they use it for alcohol or drugs and my husband will not support their addictions (rightfully so). So, I agree with Marny, if we can, we will help but to give them money. No, thank you.

My brother lives in downtown Toronto, so as you can imagine, he sees A LOT of this. When he first moved there, he was handing out change like crazy..... Then he read an ariticle in the paper that talked about a guy on the street who saved what he collected and how in addition to food & clothing, he was able to get a place to live etc... In one year the guy figured he had made more than $60 000 and struggled with the notion of getting a "real" entry level job that paid $25 000/yr.

After that, realizing that most of the people he was giving cash to were spending their $60 000/yr on drugs and alcohol, my brother starting working into his budget an amount for "giving". He's an actor so he gets paid in random chunks, and when he gets a pay check he takes 5% and buys $5 gift cards for Coffee Time, Starbucks, Subway etc. He hands these out to the panhandlers and when he runs out, he simply tells them, "Sorry I'm all out for now."

I don't see this very often in Red Deer, but I guess if it's going to happen, I might have to follow the wisdom of my baby bro.

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Originally Posted by Mrs. Valentine

My brother lives in downtown Toronto, so as you can imagine, he sees A LOT of this. When he first moved there, he was handing out change like crazy..... Then he read an ariticle in the paper that talked about a guy on the street who saved what he collected and how in addition to food & clothing, he was able to get a place to live etc... In one year the guy figured he had made more than $60 000 and struggled with the notion of getting a "real" entry level job that paid $25 000/yr.

After that, realizing that most of the people he was giving cash to were spending their $60 000/yr on drugs and alcohol, my brother starting working into his budget an amount for "giving". He's an actor so he gets paid in random chunks, and when he gets a pay check he takes 5% and buys $5 gift cards for Coffee Time, Starbucks, Subway etc. He hands these out to the panhandlers and when he runs out, he simply tells them, "Sorry I'm all out for now."

I don't see this very often in Red Deer, but I guess if it's going to happen, I might have to follow the wisdom of my baby bro.

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Very good. This is what I also suggested to my husband. So, this year for Xmas we might do this.

Tonight on Ross St a lady I think was trying to hit me up for money I just ignored her she started swearing basically the four letter f word then she starts bothering someone else then I she starts after me again with the f word.I hide in the library until bus time.Today a man was hitting me up for spare change at Shoppers Drug Mart Village Mall.

I had to laugh, last night we had some kids come by selling some "book" for Crimestoppers. Dh answered the door (he's wayyyy more polite than me). Anyway these kids (ok young adults) were trying to sell him on the fact that "crime is high" in our neighbourhood and by buying this book we'd be helping increase "presence" in the area. So DH tells them "no maybe later" and they go on to say that they've been in our community for 3 months and this is "the last week". I was in the kitchen making dinner and snickering....I live in Blackfalds so I'd love for them to enlighten me on how on earth you could spend 3 months canvassing our tiny community. That combined with the fact that I've never heard of any above normal crime in the area.....oh and we just got 5 new officers with the new police station. I guess as they were walking down the walkway off our property DH heard the boy (there was a boy & girl) mutter "gee that was a waste" heaven forbid I had been the one to answer the door, if I had heard the kid utter that I totally would have given him an earfull :) Oh and this "book" was a "steal of deal" at $30 (I think I heard them say it was a colouring book).