Need quick answers - should I help

[alwaysscared]

Someone on a group on Facebook I am on is desperate. Has no money until thurs and her elec is going to go off. She has 2 kids. She has asked, in a very embarrassed way, if anyone can help with £10. She has left her PayPal account email. Should I help? Can I be defrauded on PayPal? I know you shouldn't really send money to strangers but I can't stand the thought of those poor kids and her having no elec. Is it better to get her bank details or do through paypal?

Anyone who posts a message with paypal details on a facebook group is a scammer IMO, or at best an opportunist.

As for the posters saying that they’d rather give a tenner and risk it being a scam, well only ten people have to say that on ten fb groups and bingo, the scammer makes a grand that day.

It’s because of the virtue signalling do-Gooders that scammers are so successful.

No, I wouldn’t help and I’d report her post to the group admin.

She is on a mh group and asking other vulnerable people for money

I wouldn’t help and I’d report her post to the group admin.
I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what happened.

If I could afford to lose a tenner I would.

I have a friend in Virginia who I only know online but we have been really good friends for 8 years now and I once sent her £100 when she was desperate and I happened to have some extra earnings. She never asked. I sent it via Western Union to the nearest store to her address and gave her the codes. She had no idea what I had done or how much I had sent. Her kids ate that week and even if it wasn't real (though I have zero reason to doubt her) I will never regret it.

We’re up to £91 that would be sent to a complete stranger then.

No, I wouldn't send money in this situation. If someone was short on food I'd offer to buy them some staple foods, or go with them if they were local to top up their electricity. But I wouldn't be sending money to a random PayPal account.

Also, if these things are genuine, when they received the first tenner or however much they would delete their post and refund anything extra once they had what they asked for. But they never do, do they? Why would you when you've got random money just coming into your PP account thanks to a few lines of sob story? The genuine posts are those looking for places where they can access help from organisations and charities, not begging for money from strangers.