Friday, September 30, 2005

Will it come?

Last week I was walking home from the date and I was standing in the subway and this man walked over to me and asked me if the "Q" train was on this track. I told him, "yes, it is." He then proceeded to tell me in English how he is from Israel and droned on about something I didn't pay much attention to. Then the "N" train came, he started to go into the train but I knew he wanted the "Q" so I tapped him on the shoulder and told him it was the wrong train. He got off and then when the "Q" came to the station we got on together. We sat next to each other and he started telling me how he was getting money from Bank Leumi in Manhattan, but his ATM card expired and he need to buy kidney medicine for his sick son, and his wife and daughter were waitng by the pharmacy in Queens, and they were leaving that night and all the banks were close, and asked me as a Jew if I could lend him money and he would pay it back. I was skeptical, because I really don't have money to lend, and I didn't fully trust him, but some how, after telling me it was right before Rosh Hashana and, we are all Jews and he would do the same for me if I was in his situation, he got me to withdrawl $140+1.50 fee + 2.00 for subway ticket=$143.50 and promised to send me direct and money order from the airport. I am still waiting for it to come. This was two weeks ago.

5 Comments:

Blogger smb said...

that's a tough situation. on the one hand, you want to help him if he's telling the truth. and on the other hand, if he's lying, you lost a lot of money.

I wouldn't know what to do either and I would have probably also given him the money.

How about this, if someone else ever approaches you with this request, direct them to a place that can help and let them deal with it.

1:23 PM  
Blogger Elisheva said...

Like you will IY"H find your true bashert before you ever see a penny of that.

5:06 PM  
Blogger SemGirl said...

Shevy, dont be mean..LOL

1:35 PM  
Blogger Gila said...

It sounds like you did get taken, but your motives and heart were in the right place. The fault is not with you, but rather with those who prey on the goodness of others.

There are plenty of people out there who will hit you up; I am sure you will run into this again. I think the other guy had a good suggestion for seperating the wheat from the chaff-refer the guy to an organization. The other alternative--offer to buy the item itself. Theoretically, you could have offered to go with the guy to Queens to buy the prescription. If he says "no", good sign that he is a scam artist.

2:13 PM  
Blogger brianna said...

Con artist. Scam man. You know there are people who swarm in from Israel for the express purpose of doing stuff like that to people. I feel your pain, man.

11:02 PM  

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