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A rider details a scam he said he saw Monday on the Red Line.
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Not technically a "scam." This is just one of many gambits by pickpockets. Maybe with the economy flopping around on the floor like it is the pickpocket profession is in ascendancy again. The way to protect yourself is to bury your wallet/purse under layers of protection where they can't get at it in a few seconds. And don't fall asleep on the train!
What defines a scam? The dictionary defines scam: "to swindle someone by means a trick."
Seems like the guy in this story fit that definition.
The pigeon drop scam is a perfect example of a scam. The theft takes place by means of exploiting the victim's gullibility and greed. The victim willingly hands over the money. With your incident, the perpetrators use a distraction to trick the victim into focusing his attention on the distraction so they can (this is the difference) steal his wallet. Stealing someone's wallet is not a scam, it's theft. So in my opinion, it's a theft with a preceding diversionary act. When your wallet is stolen, it's stolen, not swindled. In the pigeon drop, you are swindled.
To the extent that they "scammed" this guy into thinking there was a legitimate emergency, it was a scam. But the bottom line is, it was a theft.
I would add that in the past there have been scams on the CTA trains. "Three Card Monty" and the "Shell Game," to be specific. Let's see if they show up again.
Well, if you guys want to think that this was a scam, I guess if you run into a shell game guy you will think it was an incredible experience, like some kind of Ponzi scheme. Yeesh.
Only one, tracyswartz? Where's all the rest?
Hi @qstrian,
I have a few in the archives but this is the most recent one that a rider spotted.
If anyone sees a scam/pickpocket scheme/shell game, please let me know.
I know the CTA doesn't track these specific games/scams/schemes so the only data available is anecdotal.
Thanks,
Tracy
Seems like a scam to me. Set up a situation, get others to fall for your con and some how profit from it. Admittedly this scam is a little cowardly and not all that clever. He is basically a pick pocket that needs to get his victims distracted before being able to take anything.
Saw something similar to this on the Brown Line at the Chicago stop a couple months ago, minus the fake "foot getting stuck" thing. A couple guys got on, reached around for whatever they could grab and got off before anyone realized what happened. By the time the pickpocketed woman near me discovered her wallet was missing, we were nearly to Sedgwick and they were long gone.
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