Scrounging Con Artists

[Voldesnort]

Argh! I've just been approached by a man with the opening gambit 'scuse me love, can you help me out? Not gonna lie to you but...'
This is where I cut him of with a 'sorry, no' and walked off.
I'm a woman on my way home from work. Office in a commercial area but badly lit route to train. Not a lot of people around. It was intimidating. Also I had a feeling from his demeanor the next line would be something along the lines of I need £1 to get home/ call home/ take my sick dog to vet etc.
He didn't seem surprised by my response. Muttered under his breath and turned away.
My AIBU I suppose is was i unreasonable to make that assumption? I've been approached a lot lately with the same M.O. from various people. But tonight really annoyed me as I felt vulnerable which is unusual.

Grr does my head in. I once got off a the train near my house and had a woman tell me a long sob story about how she's just managed to leave her abusive partner, she needed to get her children out of school and out of the city. Her friend said she could stay with her but she had no train fair to get to friend etc etc. It went on and on. I said no and walked away.

Later than day I saw the same woman, different clothes, different sob story. 😒

It is situations like these which prevent me from going to the Town Centre. There are beggars all over the main shopping streets. I would never consider going on to any of the other streets.

I know a lot of the decline in Town Centres is due to the rise in internet shopping but this also a factor. I go to shopping malls instead which has also lead to the failure of the Town Centres.

Is there any legislation to prevent this sort of event?

There are loads near my office. On my way into work I pass a corner where a dozen Eastern European’s gather for a cuppa before scattering off to spend the day begging.

The ones who really really hack me off are the tag team of fake Big Issue salespeople who hover outside the corner shop opposite my office with their ‘last’ copy that they assume you won’t take from them because the others were stolen just that morning (same story every day).

There is one who hangs around our local shopping centre, always just wants £2 for the bus and I’ve only ever seen him approach women who are on their own or with small children, so YABU as I think these people intentionally target people who may be intimidated by them into giving money

^ that was meant to be YANBU

They are really annoying, I was lost in a city recently and had to approach a stranger for detections, I couldn't help you how many just swerved past because they thought I was begging!

I’ve watched them before, they do go for the soft targets. They never, ever ask a six foot bloke.

Sorry I've only just seen all your replies. I definitely think he thought I was a soft target. Woman on own, business suit, quiet area and already dark. I'll be warning the office security tomorrow to keep on eye on it. I've also been approached when i've had DC with me, but that's usually in the daytime which gives me the rage I never give money to people on the street as I don't think it helps the problem. Though I do support genuine charities. I don't think these scroungers are at all genuine though!