AIBU to wonder if giving cash to a stranded tourist was naive

[LovingLilacDuck]

I just got approach by a tourist woman in Paddington who said she got her purse stolen in Oxford Street. She asked me for some cash as she had to put blockage on all her bank cards because they were stolen. And she needed the cash to go to her hotel or something like that. She was good looking, she said she was a lawyer from Amsterdam and was soft spoken but also a little nervous. And she was so happy when I gave her the cash that she gave me a hug and thanked me in a genuine way.

I helped her because she seemed genuine. Of course, there is a chance she could be a scammer herself so a part of me feels a bit sad and naive. But I just want to hope that she wasn’t and I helped a woman in need.

What would you do in this situation? I am just curious. xx

What you see superficially as “scam” is in many cases exploitation.

Sadly, it's usually both: trafficked and other vulnerable people are exploited by the scammers to perpetrate the scam for them.

That still means that, if you give to them, the major beneficiary of your generosity will be their exploiters - and if enough people do give, this will only validate their nasty system and encourage them to keep on doing it, as it continues to work to make them money.

Once they know that it's profitable, they will naturally also look to find more vulnerable people to exploit, to cover other 'pitches', to make them yet more money - in exactly the same way as legitimate businesses open a shop that makes them a decent profit, so they then look to open another one in the next town, and then another, and another.