Beggars or Scammers at TigerDirect/CompUSA

Former Tiger Direct, now called CompUSA, has a retail site on Capital Blvd (Rt1) north of the 440 beltline. Don't get me wrong -- this post is not about Tiger/CompUSA -- but about the apparent pattern of scammers targeting their parking lot.

I went there yesterday evening, accompanied by my teen-aged son, and for the third time in a few months was approached by a stranger who began in an impassioned tone explaining some vague story about an alternator, something about money -- flashing a wad of bills -- and seeming to want something but not asking it directly. Now, I'd been duped easily when I was my son's age, but nowadays I'm not inclined to open up; I rarely carry cash with me anyways and didn't that night.

So I simply said so. The first hint that something was wrong was, he didn't take no for an answer. Keep in mind my son was with me, and felt a little intimidated by this guy. That was enough to raise my hackles, but something else seemed familiar. Here was a guy, complaining about a car part in the middle of a parking lot at a computer store, when not two blocks up the street were three auto parts stores. There was also that wad of cash, and that for no apparent reason he kept his cell phone out, and it was rather expensive looking.

When he refused to take the soft let-down, I dropped down into a somewhat more tense tone. Not harsh, just irate. I told him matter of factly that, look, this is the third time someone like you has approached me in this parking lot complaining about car trouble and asking for something. He started backing off, quickly replying that "there isn't anyone else like me here". But I remembered clearly the same sort of stories from people approaching me in that lot, as I left the store at dusk. There's a pattern here. I curtly informed him that no, I'm leaving now. He got the message, but he now looked very nervous.

Now, I could be paranoid, but I don't think so. What would someone need from me, when they've got the money to get cell phone that I can't afford? A ride? I've got a pickup truck that seats two, and the auto-parts stores are within easy walking distance. And this is a commercial strip... what are these people doing to get stuck here of all places, taking the bus? No, it smells of a scam of some sort, a course in Advanced Begging at the 300 level, or perhaps some worse form of planned theivery. A lot of people shopping at a computer parts store presumably have disposable income, and I'm thinking they've proven to be good targets.

Be careful when shopping at Tiger/CompUSA.

Long time, no posting

Been in school, university really. Not much business done outside of that, so not much to say.