Door to Door Art Scam Here in Irvine

[noabsolutes]

Hi guys...

Beware of art scammers roaming Irvine neighborhoods. They say they are art students selling their school art work (oil paintings ) for a donation to start an art gallery in Laguna Beach. The story you're told may be different though depending on the person you get. The one that came by was an Israeli "art student".  If you are a collector/artist you may be able to tell if it's a real oil painting. But if you're not sure it's a real oil painting, best to err on the safe side and assume it's the mass produced oil prints on canvas from China. If you like the paintings you can buy them but just know they are no more than $5-$35 dollars online from China that they are peddling for hundreds of dollars. They hit up new home communities figuring people need art work. They also include free canvas stretch and a framer that comes out to frame your art at 50% discount off frames.

Here's the link about this old age scam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_student_scam

 

[nosuchreality]

On Tuesday night, I got confirmation that I got played roughly a month ago.

We were in a local food and a nicely dressed older woman came up saying, 'excuse me, I've lost my purse and need bus fare home'

the same woman, with the same story that hit us up roughly a month ago in the same food court.

My reply was loud, so everyone around us heard, 'No. You said that same story a month ago.'

 

[qwerty]

On Tuesday night, I got confirmation that I got played roughly a month ago.

We were in a local food and a nicely dressed older woman came up saying, 'excuse me, I've lost my purse and need bus fare home'

the same woman, with the same story that hit us up roughly a month ago in the same food court.

My reply was loud, so everyone around us heard, 'No. You said that same story a month ago.'

this is kind of interesting. a person dressed nicely asks for money and gets it. a homeless person ask for money and typically doesnt get it (im not referring to NSR, just in general). 

 

[zubs]

Tell her to do Gangnam Style and to let you film her and she can have $5.  Then post it on here.

 

[jayl23]

On Tuesday night, I got confirmation that I got played roughly a month ago.

We were in a local food and a nicely dressed older woman came up saying, 'excuse me, I've lost my purse and need bus fare home'

the same woman, with the same story that hit us up roughly a month ago in the same food court.

My reply was loud, so everyone around us heard, 'No. You said that same story a month ago.'

this is kind of interesting. a person dressed nicely asks for money and gets it. a homeless person ask for money and typically doesnt get it (im not referring to NSR, just in general).

Simple human nature (or maybe it is learned?), when we have to make quick snap judgements, we typically do so by appearance.  So we trust those who appear "good".  That's why wall street bankers dress the sharpest when they're asking people to invest millions.  Same reason why "sex sells".

 

[Vinster]

I've been approached at a gas station in Irvine for gas money by a guy driving a nice SUV.

Also, at a gas station in Aliso Viejo, a guy on a motorcycle asked for gas money to go to his grandfather's funeral.

 

[nosuchreality]

On Tuesday night, I got confirmation that I got played roughly a month ago.

We were in a local food and a nicely dressed older woman came up saying, 'excuse me, I've lost my purse and need bus fare home'

the same woman, with the same story that hit us up roughly a month ago in the same food court.

My reply was loud, so everyone around us heard, 'No. You said that same story a month ago.'

this is kind of interesting. a person dressed nicely asks for money and gets it. a homeless person ask for money and typically doesnt get it (im not referring to NSR, just in general). 

Yep, 95% of the time if not more, I ignore.  Every once and a while I get a 'real' vibe on the down and out lookers and scrape together something.  I shouldn't and should just be better about donating to a homeless care and knowing there is someplace for them to go, but need is immediate and localized.  Rarely get well dressed panhandlers.