phony doctor's bills?

bobbetthehobbit

hi,
i'm currently staying in jaipur and (touch wood) am successfully avoiding the usual scams, but recently i have noticed an abundance of women carrying babys and doctor or "hospital" bills for the baby in question. they would, at first glance seem genuine, but i have seen at least 3 women in the past week. the women usually approach cars in traffic and harrass westeners in tuk-tuks
does anyone know if these women are a rajastani version of the "milk for the baby" women in mumbai?

AvidTrekker

I would think its pretty much obvious... or isn't it?

Its India... anything can and DOES happen here...

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Nick-H

Oh yes, phony school bills happen too.

Mrs N and I were approached by a woman the other day, who showed us her school bill. I was immediately suspicious, as it was obviously old and had been folded and unfolded so many times it was held together by tape.

Mrs N said that she would contact the school and pay the fees direct, so she took the details.

The next day she did so ---and was told, "We are fed up with people coming forward to pay this boy's fees: They are paid!"

What we could not understand was why the woman persisted with the lie when it was inevitable that she was going to get found out. They obviously needed money; if they had just asked we'd have given something.

But guys: there are genuine cases too. Each one is your judgement. Don't tar them all with the same brush...

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batistuta

I met a Rajasthani Women who had a Printed piece of Paper and was asking money based on that. I met her on a bus while travelling to Mysore.

'We have lost lots of cattle and camel in Rajasthan due to recent floods.Please support us." or something to that effect.

I do not recall any floods in Rajasthan and even if it was true , coming to Bangalore with that paper in hand is not a good Ploy.

In other words, It is another Indian scam.

ranjan154

Yes, this is scam.. many at railway station will ask you for money saying they lost thier money, now they want to return home. All fake.. just ignore..

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Nick-H

Ive heard it here, but it even happens in London!

And its always the taxi fare they want: bus is not good enough for them.

That's why, here, when one guy told me he'd lost his wallet and needed Rs20 to get to the other end of the city by bus --- I believed him. I even believed his intention to return it, but wouldn't give my address to a stranger anyway and insisted he give it to charity.

I was approached by a couple of strangers coming from a wedding I'd just attended: "we need to get back to Delhi....". Sorry guys, but if you couldn't afford the ticket, why did you come?

These are just the typical instances in which I do not give --- but there are lots of times that I do.

Requests for medical bills, education, school uniform; all are fairly common --- and all are not false, especially if you are not in a tourist area. Also requests to contribute to the cost of someone's wedding (it can be a pretty hard thing for poor people to pay for) may well be genuine.

Case by case basis. And you only know for sure if you just got conned by the reaction you get after you've given something.

An old Brahmin man came to our door, asking for money, and did we have any clothes, for a wedding. I gave some money, and a used but clean and nice vesti such as a Brahmin might wear --- he intoned a beautiful mantra that made me feel great. Things come in strange ways...

barodian

Nicely said! There are lot of people who are honest and some con artist will make someone judgement impaired.

This kind of things happens everywhere, even in Cali! San Francisco is the richest poorest city. The "poor homeless" make so much money because of the tourist. One time I saw a guy come out of a Mercedes wearing old smelly clothes and looked like a typical homeless man. This was about 6AM and he was on the main road street begging for money to buy food. I noticed him do that for awhile, when I was going to college.

Nick-H

Sure, there are people that make a profession of it. But when they get caught out it makes big publicity, so I think it is actually rare. I've talked to people on the street in London who have told me they'd rather beg than work in an office!

Takes all sorts...

Puneet

hey, offcourse this is all fraud.
once while travelling from Mumbai to Nagpur, a youth approached me on Nasik station and told me that he has to go to Nagpur and he lost his ticket somewhere and does not have more money.

I had heard of such excuses before. I said, fine, I will get him the ticket and he can travel with me in the reserved compartment.

He never accepted that and insisted i give him the money and he will manage in a general class. I decided not to.

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Puneet

Once in Shirdi, I was sitting on a bench when a decent looking, elderly gentlement came up to me and started speaking in ENGLISH.
Told me, he and his family have come to shirdi and someone pickpocketed them. No Money.
Dont know if this was fraud.
But gave him 100.

Seems, I look the most vulnerable

ploink

I guess it was a scam but there actually was a flood crisis in Barmer/Rajasthan last August:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5292308.stm
http://www.gravis.org.in/GRAVIS%20gallery.htm


The woman may have thought that you would know about it and that the story would appeal to you.

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naturecrazy

Maximum are "FRAUDs"

This is very common in Bangalore, every now and when you will meet such decent people in and arround all tourist points, bus and railway stands. I already got cheated for few times like this. One even took my postal address and promised he will send a Money order, till I am waiting ....

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ploink

Something wrong with Edit. At least on my computer. Sorry for double-posting; didn't realise that I double-posted and no Delete button....


Mod note: No problem.... we always tidy up that sort of thing

Fotuman

Now a days in Bangalore in the local markets (seeing this for a year or so) you will find people approaching you asking if you know some other language (Hindi/ Marathi) and then launching into a sob story of how they wanted to go from point A to B but landed here instead.

Once out of compassion, I decided to buy two of these chaps who approached me some dinner. Out of nowhere, the 2 became 20. I wasnt carrying that kind of cash, and was not inclined to buy 20 chaps dinner. Expressed my reservations, and made my way out of there.

The medicine bill thing is a decade old trick in mumbai

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ranjan154

They are all baggers presenting themselves differently, that is it, nothing else.Please avoid them.