BS: Palm Reading Scams in London

Subject: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: GUEST,Guest - Janet
Date: 19 Aug 14 - 01:55 AM

My friend's 23 year old daughter Alice went to London, England for a 10 day vacation recently. She is an American college girl and had never been to England before. She was staying in London, seeing all the sites and enjoying herself. Well one day she was walking somewhere in London and waiting to cross a busy street. She was by herself. It was about 1:00PM or sometime in the early afternoon.

This man who she described as a West Indian man with a turban started making small talk with her before crossing the road. Many other people around but the man started talking to my friend's daughter. He wanted to read her palm or something to that effect. Alice didn't want to be rude so she just talked to him for a minute or two. He didn't actually do a palm reading but whatever he told her, he then told her she had to pay him 20 pounds!! He did not do a palm reading. They were just standing at the corner waiting to cross a busy road. He then told her she should go to a ATM to get some money out to give to him. I'm not sure if he even actually looked at her palm or not.

He said if she didn't give him the money he wanted that something terrible would happen to her plane on the way back to America. Crash or something terrible.
She got scared and went into some shop near where they were talking.
I guess the man took off walking away fast. She never gave him money but it scared her.
She came home safely the other day and is ok.

Is this a common practice in London or maybe other large cities in UK?
Are the police trying to stop this? Are they using this scam and telling people on a street corner that they will read your palm and demand money?

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: Musket
Date: 19 Aug 14 - 03:43 AM

Notwithstanding that palm reading is a scam, preying on the vulnerable and gullible by any definition... London is a city on planet earth just like any other.

Other than the rather prosaic "West Indian with a turban" it sounds like an unfortunate incident that could be on any street in any city at any time in any country. Every time I visit Boston MA on business, I get on average two Benjamin Franklins wanting to have my photo taken with them for a fee. Their "fuck you!" to my refusal echoes the sentiment of the palm reader. They can spot a Brit a mile off, I assume this palm reader can spot a Yank.

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 19 Aug 14 - 04:36 PM

Agree, Musket. People have tried to scam me in Boston; New York; Paris; St Petersburg; Dakar; New Delhi; Kuala Lumpur; Oslo, Los Angeles; Rio de Janiero; Jakarta; Cebu City; Milan; Beijing and Turkmenbashi, to mention just the places that immediately come to mind. I could probably triple the list with a bit of thought.

Maybe I look gullible but so far I've managed to avoid falling for any of them. Closest was probably the "found gold ring" in Paris, which I nearly fell for. I do tend to engage with people who approach me, rather than (sensibly?) ignoring them, but I'm usually on the watch for an "angle".

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: Mysha
Date: 19 Aug 14 - 05:11 PM

Hi,

So what is the clue of the "found gold ring" scam? I saw someone acting out very badly the finding of an small item on the square in front of the Louvre, two years ago I think. But we never got to find out how this was supposed to play out with a more accomplished actor.

Bye
                                                                  Mysha

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 19 Aug 14 - 05:45 PM

The "found gold ring" is a wonderful scam. It plays upon greed. There is no "victim".

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

catching the roma...in process is easy photography in Paris.

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: GUEST,David - guest
Date: 20 Aug 14 - 12:03 AM

To Musket,

I do not understand your comment "rather prosaic" in response to the person who said her friend's daughter described the man as a West Indian with a turban." If the girl saw a man who looked like a West Indian man with a turban" and saw him (described him that way) what is the problem with that? I live approximately 80 miles from London and when I go to London once a month or so, I see West Indian men with turbans on their head - and that is how I would describe it too.
I mean the girl obviously did not know the man and probably only saw him or talked to him for a few minutes - so how else should she describe the guy? (I see nothing wrong with her description) If my daughter had been harassed by some guy like that and she said, "Dad, he was a West Indian man with a turban" I would not say to her, "Jenny, that is rather prosaic." "Prosaic - geez" I never even hear people use that word anywhere!
David

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: Musket
Date: 20 Aug 14 - 02:51 AM

I am sure there are some people who look like they come from The West Indies, although how you could distinguish them from someone from West Africa or Westminster at a glance must take some doing. Wearing a turban, well to be fair there are a number of ethnic people from the India sub continent living in The West Indies, especially Trinidad, and quite a few of them are indeed Sikhs. A family up the road come from Trinidad and are Sikhs. They look and sound very India sub continent though, even to this weary traveller.

Be buggered if I could tell you they were West Indian at a glance though. Indian, maybe, but I'd be out by a good few thousand miles..

I suppose someone from The West Indies, wearing their cricket shirt, recovering from neurosurgery could be identified as a West Indian with a turban at a glance....

My term "prosaic " was my attempt at being polite....




Most scam merchants, if they are any good at it, try to blend in and not have many distinguishing features in case of police descriptions.

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: Mysha
Date: 20 Aug 14 - 05:53 AM

Hi,

So what is the clue of the "found gold ring" scam? I saw someone acting out very badly the finding of an small item on the square in front of the Louvre, two years ago I think. But we never got to find out how this was supposed to play out with a more accomplished actor.

Bye
                                                                  Mysha

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: LadyJean
Date: 20 Aug 14 - 09:51 PM

A friend's husband just got a call from someone claiming to be from the Internal Revenue. (The Income Tax people). The party claimed he owed the IRS $30,000 in back taxes, and should pay immediately or face fines. He thought it was hinky, and it was. The IRS doesn't let you pay over the phone, and they send letters, not phone calls. Happily, he called the real Internal Revenue, to be sure. But there are plenty of scammers out there.

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 20 Aug 14 - 10:22 PM

A person comes up to you claiming to have found a gold ring and asking if it's yours. When you say no, they show you that it is much too big for them and offer it to you anyway, as it's no use to them.

You either worry about the person who *did* lose the ring and suggest returning it to the police station or take the offered ring. If you take it, the scammer asks for a few euros for "good luck" or whatever, as after all he did find it. I took it, but told the scammer I'd take it to the police station and hand it in, at which point he took it back, telling me he'd do that himself :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: Mysha
Date: 21 Aug 14 - 02:23 AM

Hi,

Thanks Rob. I had been wondering about that one. I see I'm in no danger from it, as they'd lose me at the point where they showed that it was too big for them.

Bye
                                                                  Mysha

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 21 Aug 14 - 06:50 PM

The word "phony" is said to come from fáinne, the Irish for "ring", based on the idea that Irish emigrants ran the found-ring scam in the US in the 19th century.
Someone tried it on me in Paris; I said "Oh, lucky you - when you bring it to the police, they might give you a reward. Oh, look, there's a policeman - Hi!" - and as I waved to the imaginary flic, the finder took off.
Some hours later I passed the same person trying it on an elderly American tourist, who was gazing at the "gold" ring with glasses perched down his nose. I said as I passed, "This is a thief", and got the filthiest look ever from the phony.

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: GUEST,Guest - Janet
Date: 24 Aug 14 - 10:24 PM

Seems like the "gold ring scam" is being mentioned a lot but just wondering if anyone, especially in London has heard or read about the "palm reading scams" going on there. I guess there are many scams going on everywhere of course but if anyone has encountered or read in the papers particularly about the palm reading scams happening, please post that information. (from first post on this thread.) My friend's daughter is just 23, an American college student and it was her first visit to London, England. She had never traveled alone before and had never encountered this situation even in the huge city of Los Angeles. The best way that she could describe the man was that he wore a turban on his head and did look like he was West Indian.
Maybe he was not West Indian but I am trying to find out about the "palm reading" scam and how prevalent it is in London, England and not other scams at the moment.

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: severed-head
Date: 25 Aug 14 - 03:20 AM

I have lived in the Greater London area all my life. I have never heard of this before. I have not read about it in newspapers, nor has it been mentioned on local news channels. I do not believe it is widespread at all. I think as some scams become well known and well publicised, criminals have to think of new methods to fleece the unwary. It does, of course, depend how successful the new scams are. I do not believe this one will be very successful. I cannot imagine anyone being stupid enough to hand over money in the belief that this person can prevent a plane crash, or similar. If they could prevent such things, they would be employed by the aviation industry and be paid millions. I can understand someone handing over cash through fear - if they are genuinely afraid of this person. But in that case, the "scam" becomes irrelevant and it's just threatening behaviour.
Garry

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 25 Aug 14 - 04:45 AM

It's not so much believing the scammers can prevent a plane crash, as believing they can cause it - though it is just as unlikely that they could. (How would they know which of the thousands of flights to attack?)
I believe it would come under the law against 'demanding money with menaces'.

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 25 Aug 14 - 05:42 AM

I'm a bit puzzled by the idea of turbans on Caribbeans ("West Indian" is non-PC now). Surely only Sikhs wear turbans.

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Aug 14 - 06:06 AM

Turbans aren't unique to Sikhs although they are the only group likely to be wearing them as a matter of course in London.

I haven't heard of this scam before but in London I have probably rudely ignored lost tourists on several occasions as I have been approached by too many beggers, scammers or chuggers over the years and never start conversations with strangers any more.

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 25 Aug 14 - 06:28 AM

"West Indian" is non-PC now

Eh? Try telling that to the West Indian cricket team.

Also, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turban#Rastafarianism

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: Mysha
Date: 25 Aug 14 - 06:34 AM

Hi Janet,

My apologies for distracting the thread by asking for more on the ring found scam.

As far as I can recall, I've encountered that threat to give the person bad luck only once before, and I think that one was in fiction. So, while it's not new, I'd say it doesn't seem to be wide-spread. There's a certain logic to that, as it requires finding victims who will feel threatened enough by the future bad luck, but not in a way that will call up resistance to the scammer. That's probably a much smaller group than greedy people, for which there are lots of scams, or even helpful yet impulsive people, for which a few scams about friends in dire straits exist.

If she's still in London, tell you friend to have her buy a good-luck charm. It can be anything, as long as she buys it for good luck. Good for the voyage home, and afterwards she'll have a souvenir and a momento of how she beat the bad luck and the scammer.

Bye
                                                                Mysha

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 25 Aug 14 - 06:38 AM

1. The Rastafarian head-wrap is not properly termed a turban.
2. The appropriate term is "Caribbean" - certainly in the Afrikan cultural milieu.

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 25 Aug 14 - 11:13 AM

... but not to buy the good luck charme from a stranger who stops her in the street.

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 25 Aug 14 - 01:52 PM

A scam in London some time ago- a man engages one in conversation (Street, pub, etc.,) and claims to be from your country (Canada, in my case), and tries to get help in order to buy a ticket home.

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: maeve
Date: 25 Aug 14 - 02:02 PM

Guest, Janet- I found this reference, possibly related to your query:
http://mssv.net/2011/06/20/you-have-a-lucky-face/comment-page-3/

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: Mysha
Date: 25 Aug 14 - 02:09 PM

Hi,

Thanks Topsie; forgot about that one. Creating a scare (though on a scale of everyone passing though that street) and then selling charms against: That's definitely in a comic somewhere.


(Q: Sometimes there are advantages to speaking a minority language.)

Bye
                                                                  Mysha

Subject: RE: BS: Palm Reading Scams in London
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Aug 14 - 05:50 PM

"A scam in London some time ago- a man engages one in conversation (Street, pub, etc.,) and claims to be from your country (Canada, in my case), and tries to get help in order to buy a ticket home. "

A version of a regular one tried all over the country. Normally its just needing a train or bus fare home. My daughter, in Dundee, had the same person try it on her twice in a week!

The other varient is approaching somebody outside an office claiming to have worked with them many years before. If they are good at the spiel they can end up with you thinking that they really do know you when you are giving the information.