Modern-day scammers will do anything to squeeze money from their targeted victims. Depending on the type of scam, one can lose a few bucks to millions of dollars.
The primary motivation of a scammer is money. These people will do anything to get their hands on their victims’ money without caring about the consequences. A woman once witnessed a scam when she saw a panhandler get into an expensive car.
Speaking to ABC7, Melissa Smith recounted seeing a pregnant woman and her son in a San Diego shopping center parking lot. She stated that the two had been at Eastlake Village Center every weekend for about two months.
Smith was shocked to see a pregnant beggar get into a Mercedes Benz. Curious, she decided to follow the car, not knowing where she would end up.
“I felt bad. There’s a pregnant lady with a little boy who is down on her luck,” she said, stating that the woman held a cardboard sign reading, “please help.”
“Lots of people gave them money. Probably five people in five minutes gave them money,” Smith said, stating that she was getting gas when she saw them at their usual spot. “They were leaving, and I noticed they went into a Mercedes Benz. I thought, ‘Wow, a Mercedes Benz?'”
California may be famous for its balmy weather, pristine beaches, and glamorous residents, but it is also notorious for its large number of homeless people. And people also have to be aware that some of them are imposters. Smith was no fool when it came to con artists, but she just felt uneasy about this woman in particular.
“Lo and behold, they were in front of us. Here they are counting money, laughing. Their little boy is not in a car seat or a seat belt. He’s all the way in the front seat with them,” she said, adding that she watched them drive to a McDonald’s on Bonita Road, at a different plaza.
“She sits there with the sign. He goes (and) parks the Mercedes. They put up the sign and not less than five minutes, here she is getting money from all these people,” she added.
According to Smith, when she started taking pictures of the woman and the boy at the new location, the woman spotted her and began yelling.
“Next thing I know, she picked up this big boulder. I don’t know if pregnant people can do that, but it was pretty big over her head and coming at me with this rock,” she said.
Journalists decided to continue Smith’s investigation. They discovered that the woman lived in an apartment complex called Encinitas Heights.
According to the resident there, the rent is $2,500 per month. Reporters knocked on the beggar woman’s door but no one answered. Then they got a call. It turns out that the people living there had recently moved in after the couple before had simply left.
Watch the video report below for more details:
Sources: OpposingViews, ABC 7