USER BLOGS: Entry by jet09

Other Recent Blogs

Homeless Mom Scam in Elkhart
Posted: August 24, 2009 10:41 AM
Mood:	Aggravated

Just a warning about the latest scam here in Elkhart:

On Saturday afternoon 8/22 a white woman in her 40s held up a bright green neon sign "Homeless Mom--Needs Food for Children" at the corner where shoppers leave Walmart (at the Stop sign with Goodwill on one side of the street, and Hampton Inn on the other).

My passenger and I went over to ask about her situation. She said she had three children and they all lived in their car. I asked her to follow me to a grocery store and I would buy her food. She declined to do so, but said if I would bring the food back to her there, they would eat any of the basics--meat, bread and milk. My passenger and I went to the store and bought her all the basics, a week's worth of food for a family of four. We had so much food she could not take it from us at the Stop Sign (where she continued to wave her sign), so she had to take us to her car--an 80s blue rusty Cadillac parked at the Hampton Inn. However, the two seedy-looking white males sitting in the car were definitely not children. One man (probably in his 40s) reluctantly left the car to come help take the food from my vehicle to theirs. I had to ask him to help.

Then my friend and I went into Goodwill to shop (they did not see us do this). I had expected them to depart, since now they had food and could feed their hungry children (wherever they were). HOWEVER, this woman, unaware that we were watching her from inside the Goodwill store, continued to hold her sign up for the next 45 minutes, working the road. Others would stop and give her a few food items they had bought at Walmart. Some gave money. I left the Goodwill at that point, so I do not know how much longer she continued this scam, but the good people of Elkhart are falling for it.

It is likely that these three adults are re-selling whatever food they collect. I know for a fact they got one sucker (me) for $45 worth of food last weekend.
This is another reason we should support our local food pantries rather than giving to individuals on the street whom we don't know. I learned the hard way; don't fall for this one!

YOUR RATING

Average Rating:

Rate This Blog: