NO ONE likes to be cheated. But it happens so often and so quickly that you don't even realise what has happened. Later when you think about it, you want to kick yourself for being taken in so easily.
I was a victim too. On one occasion, I was waiting for the lift at the Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station when a scruffy-looking woman with grey hair appeared out of nowhere and spoke to me very softly, almost a whisper.
She said her father had died and her mother had an operation. She needed RM10 (S$4.20) for her food and a bus ticket to go back to Rawang.
I felt so sorry for her and handed her the money. However, as she walked away after taking the money, I became suspicious. Despite her grey hair, her gait had a spring of youth. She "bounded" off in the direction of the Express Rail Link station instead of the KTM-Komuter counter to get a ticket to Rawang.
I spied on her from behind a pillar and saw her going around to "sell" her sob story to others. Her's was an Oscar-winning act.
When I confronted her, she declared that she was collecting donations and bolted down the steps.
I checked with several taxi drivers in the area and they all confirmed that the woman had been "working" the area for a while.
I remember reading about people using Arab pukau (black magic) to cheat while asking for small change and a Chinese national on a tourist visa who was caught raking in RM5,000 (S$2,100) after a week's begging in Muar.
The simplest way to avoid falling into the con-trap is to say "no" firmly. By not giving, it would discourage them. Giving in will only encourage them to be bolder.
Here are some tips on what to do when faced with such a situation:
Offer to take their pictures - with your mobile phone or camera. This will often work as con-men are likely to panic at the sight of a camera.
Ask to see their IC, passport or some form of identity.
Instead of money, offer food instead and watch their reaction.
Call the authorities. This may be a bit tricky as there have been many media reports of the public's frustration when they inform authorities of beggars causing a nuisance. The public are sent from department to department and in the end, no action is taken
