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New service station scam - bradgate
Last weekend, I was driving through the West Midlands and stopped for a mid-afternoon coffee break at a motorway service station. I was sitting in the car reading the paper when an attractive young woman approached, brandishing her car keys.

The girl apologetically introduced herself and then delivered an obviously well-rehearsed patter about having run out of petrol and lost her purse, while all the time leaning into the car to ensure I couldn't fail to get an 'eyeful' via her very low-cut top. She then asked if I could spare 'a few quid' to 'help her out', while emphasising that she was 'not a beggar'.

I decided this was obviously a scam, and declined to give her money. She accepted this and proceeded to work her way around the car-park, approaching only the men and ingnoring the women, couples and families.

Has anyone else been approached by similar scammers? Is this a widespread activity?
New service station scam - daveyjp
Not in a service station, but I have been approached by someone wanting some cash for a rail fare as their car has been stolen and they need to get home blah blah. Also seen someone wandering round a car park with an empty fuel can with a similar story to yours.
New service station scam - jc2
Haven't seen the ones at Calais Ferryport recently who need money for a ferry-ticket home.
New service station scam - Peter D
Was she a curly brunnet with a well developed anatomy and a nice sun tan. ?? Regards Peter
New service station scam - bradgate
She was black with short hair, early 20's and spoke with a brummie accent.
New service station scam - aaflyer
Ah, so that's where my wife is when she's meant to be at the WI!
New service station scam - Dalglish
Has anyone else been approached by similar scammers?

>>

previous ones here:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=39285&...f

juicy one similar to yours here, but hidden unless you are overr 18 ! ;-)
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=38...9

New service station scam - bell boy
Aaaaaw i was looking forward to reading that as well :(
New service station scam - Dalglish
oldman,
maybe the software read your age backwards (the german petrol gauge thingy in halmer's thread) and marked you down as a teenager - i.e. 16 and not your real age of 61 .

New service station scam - bell boy
guess you could be right there .
New service station scam - Altea Ego
Clevage? Two quid you say?

What services was this?

Purely out of interest you understand.
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
New service station scam - Thommo
The are now very attractive girls of East European appearance pulling this scam at Heathrow airport.

They stand in the queue to pay the parking ticket which is always about 5 deep and then say to the the guy (always a guy) in front, something like 'damn I'm 50P short couldn't lend me 50p could you. If he obliges when they guy is outing his money in its 'oh no left X in terminal and they move off'. Performable then repeated once the blokes cleared off.

Also veering off topic but I hope the mods alway it as its an important message. 13/14 year old school girls in school uniform having been approaching strangers in/around Guildford train station and saying 'please mister I'm 20o short on my train fare home'. The dangers of this are obvious and I have informed the school directly. If they're doing it in Guildford you can bet they're doing it in Derby just a warning if you've a daughter at such an age.
New service station scam - Big Bad Dave
The most disgusting Motorway Service scam that catches me out everytime is Burger King charging a pound more for a bacon double cheeseburger meal than the Regent Street outlet. I guess it must be down to the high rent they pay for that prime location waste-marsh-bogland in the middle of absolutely nowhere.
New service station scam - Altea Ego
Have you tried undoing a couple of buttons on your shirt and leaning into some of the big rigs and saying "scuse me mister have you got a quid for a bacon double cheese burger?
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
New service station scam - Big Bad Dave
"sucky sucky, ten dollar" works better for me
New service station scam - Thommo
BBD,

You are completely correct the lease costs for a motorway service station are way higher than prime retail sites in central London.

It starts with a huge premium to be granted the 20 year lease to develope and open a service ststaion followed by eye watering annual lease costs.

Who is the lessor?

Our good friend Gordon Brown.

Following complaints the OFT investigated in 2000 and reported the high prices at service stations were due to high costs and no one was making 'excessive' profits.
New service station scam - Peter D
I won't bother asking which service station it was then. !! Regards Peter
New service station scam - Rats
SO, how do you get your age into your profile please??
New service station scam - Dynamic Dave
SO, how do you get your age into your profile please??


Dalglish's messsage had a smiley, implying he was joking.
New service station scam - Dalglish
Dalglish's messsage had a smiley, implying he was joking

>>

aaw - dd has spoilt it now!

anyway, you really can find the original by googling "car park wallet scam". sorry cannot give a link as the story is definitely too "over18" risque for hj's site.

New service station scam - Dynamic Dave
googling "car park wallet scam" doesn't work. However, googling "car park" wallet scam does.

For some strange reason though, I can still see the hidden thread ;o)
New service station scam - Dalglish
googling "car park wallet scam" doesn't work.

>>

do it without the quotation marks, and the 2nd link humourarchives is the same as the one found with "car park" in quotes.
For some strange reason though, I can still see the hidden
thread ;o)

>>

proves you are over 18. ;-)

New service station scam - cheddar
For some strange reason though, I can still see the hidden
thread ;o)



Funny, so can I Dave.
New service station scam - mare
BBD,
You are completely correct the lease costs for a motorway service
station are way higher than prime retail sites in central London.
It starts with a huge premium to be granted the 20
year lease to develope and open a service ststaion followed by
eye watering annual lease costs.
Who is the lessor?
Our good friend Gordon Brown.
Following complaints the OFT investigated in 2000 and reported the high
prices at service stations were due to high costs and no
one was making 'excessive' profits.


McDonalds cope though. Prices are the same

Anyway, in response to OP: very old scam encountered elsewhere in this country and abroad with countless variations on the theme as discussed above
New service station scam - Altea Ego
On the M1 once with the family. Ordered a meal in the little chef and ordered a side order of onion rings for 2.75.

THREE onion rings turned up in a dish. - £2.75!

I told them to take it away as I wasnt paying for it.
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
New service station scam - Dynamic Dave
Someone I know who used to work at a motorway service station told me that they have a 30% mark up on all food sold. Average price for a diet cola drink (you know the brand) is around a £1, hence why I recently paid £1.30 at one of the A34 services for the same drink.
New service station scam - Thommo
A book that detailed stuff like supermarkets with cheap cafés and other good stuff close to motorway exits and directions to get to them would seem a fair idea.

And I will only require 10% of the profits for providing the idea.
New service station scam - DavidHM
How much do I get for providing the link then?

www.5minutesaway.co.uk/
New service station scam - Thommo
Cool. Just goes to show original ideas are few and far between.
New service station scam - Pugugly {P}
The way this thread went just goes to show who the real highway robbers are.
New service station scam - Thommo
Ah. Slight problem they are selling the entries to be listed as 5 minutes away (as you would expect) and some of the junctions are pretty sparsely covered.

New service station scam - Altea Ego
And of course we all have mobile internet access in the car when you are feeling peckish or thirsty approaching the next motorway exit?

No? Oh thats useful then.

It needs to be a book, or better still a sat nav POI databse.
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
New service station scam - bell boy
the book is called "off the motorway" by travel publishing ltd
New service station scam - Lud
I am appalled to read of people drinking diet pepsi at motorway service stations.

Whatever happened to the bottle of champers and smoked salmon sandwiches in the police only motorway security laybys?

You guys got no goddam class is all.
New service station scam - Miniman777
BBD, You are completely correct the lease costs for a motorway service station are way higher than prime retail sites in central London. It starts with a huge premium to be granted the 20 year lease to develope and open a service ststaion followed by eye watering annual lease costs. Who is the lessor? Our good friend Gordon Brown. Following complaints the OFT investigated in 2000 and reported the high prices at service stations were due to high costs and no one was making 'excessive' profits.

It is usually the case the outlet, on top of rent, pays a small percentage of turnover to the site owner. This is common practice at railway stations, which is why you pay more that High St/retail parks.

But you'll still get a coffee from a McDonalds at a service area cheaper than a Costa latter, which tends to be £3.25-3.40. That IS a rip-off..

New service station scam - L'escargot
The most disgusting Motorway Service scam that catches me out everytime
is Burger King charging a pound more for a bacon double
cheeseburger meal than the Regent Street outlet. I guess it must
be down to the high rent they pay for that prime
location waste-marsh-bogland in the middle of absolutely nowhere.


Not a "scam" after all then? Sounds as if Burger King are merely pricing their wares according to the running costs of the particular outlet. You can't get fairer than that.
--
L\'escargot.
New service station scam - Big Bad Dave
"Sounds as if Burger King are merely pricing their wares according to the running costs of the particular outlet."

Nonsense man, or the Regent Street outlet would be charging ten times as much as one in Eccles.

SCAM!
New service station scam - cheddar
I agree 100% BBD! McDs charge the same where ever you are, I prefer McDs anyway, sometimes a life saver at Cullumpton.
New service station scam - Big Bad Dave
Cheers Cheddar! Yeah McD Happy Meals have fantastic toys at the moment too.

In any case, whether it?s the mark-up on the food or the outrageous rent for land that otherwise only aligators and pelicans could inhabit, it?s a scam inflicted on the hungry motorist.
New service station scam - cheddar
Cheers Cheddar! Yeah McD Happy Meals have fantastic toys at the moment too.


And you struck me as someone who would have a big appetite Dave ;-)


Go Large!
New service station scam - IanJohnson
One of the benefits of TomTom - I have databases of all the supermarkets (in just the same way as you can get speed camera databases) so very rarely use motorway service stations!

BTW there is even a signed service station on the M1 near Borobridge (or is it A1 up there) which is a Morrisons supermarket!
New service station scam - NowWheels
This thread (and TVM's interst in knowing exactly where it happens) reminds me of something which a woman posted to another Forum I frequent. The text is from an email which is apparently doing the rounds:

Please pass this on to any woman you know who use ASDA...

A new scam is being pulled on women mainly in broad daylight in ASDA car parks.

What happens is that when the intended victim goes back to her car to put her shopping in the boot, an almost NUDE, good looking, tanned, muscled young man comes up to her car and pretends to wash the windscreen.

While he is doing this, another 2 young, handsome athletic men open the back doors of the car, jump in and insist the woman drive off with them to some lonely spot, where 2 have their wicked way with her and the other steals her handbag.

They are very good at this ...

They got me three times Friday and five times Saturday.
New service station scam - NowWheels
PS The sender added:

I couldn't find them on Sunday :
New service station scam - Altea Ego
PS The sender added:
I couldn't find them on Sunday :


was one of them carrying a half eaten bacon double cheese burger or a mcdonalds toy?
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
New service station scam - NowWheels
>> PS The sender added:
>>
>> I couldn't find them on Sunday :
was one of them carrying a half eaten bacon double cheese
burger or a mcdonalds toy?


The poster's interest seemed to be more focused on something else that was being carried ...
New service station scam - Altea Ego
No
surely not a Kentucky Fried family bucket?
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
New service station scam - cheddar
That is really the gist of DrS's hidden thread that Dalglish refered to above and that is actually not quite as hidden as it could be.

Mods: I have mentioned before how hidden posts or parts thereof can infact be seen.

New service station scam - Dalglish
hidden posts or parts thereof can infact be seen

>>

how many time do i have to say this? for the last time: you can only see them if you are over 18! ;-)

New service station scam - stevied
Interesting thread this.

Without being derogatory, or personal.. I have to ask, l'escargot what field of work are you in? Looking through recent threads, your answers and comments are always interesting and kind of logical, but very.. how can I put this... right-wing? Your sympathies seem firmly with big business. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just rare these days!
New service station scam - Mutton Geoff
> surely not a Kentucky Fried family bucket?

As Jack Dee once said, "what kind of family eats their dinner from a bucket?"

Back to motoring, his car related stuff is quite amusing too, the "Hammersmith elbow" where he pushes the door lock button down with his elbow as he pulls onto Hammersmith Broadway and his impressions of strangers trying to find the door handle to exit ...
New service station scam - Dalglish
how can I put this... right-wing? Your sympathies seem firmly
with big business. Not that there's anything wrong with that,
it's just rare these days!

>>

without wishing to stray off-topic, i am surprised anyone should be against any size of business. as long as they are not forcing you do anything against your will.
business and market forces are seen as forces for good, even in russia or china. i believe money grows on trees, and would rather live in cuba, or venezuela, or work for the leader living in the glass house south of the thames near tower bridge.

as it is off topic, i shall say no more.

New service station scam - stevied
"i believe money grows on trees, and would rather live in cuba, or venezuela, or work for the leader living in the glass house south of the thames near tower bridge."

I understood your point up to there! I am not anti-business either, but wary of it, as I am of most things. Logically thinking, anything that is run purely for profit doesn't have your best interests at heart, so you will get screwed over if you don't watch your back. I find it hard to advocate ever-increasing profits for firms where the only beneficaries are the fat cats at the top. Blah blah entreprenurial risk blah, I've heard it all before... All I have to say is: example of Vodafone. Senior management suffer greed overload, buy everything in sight, lose 40 quadzillion pounds. 400 people lose their jobs. Now, even if smug corporate fatty HAS lost his job as well as the proles, you betcha life he gets paid off, and the OBN will make sure he gets another well-paid pointless made up job.

Back to topic, the link is: haven't Vodafone just spent ANOTHER small fortune on sponsorship? Wonder how much that cost them, does anyone know?
New service station scam - Crickleymal
>> i believe money grows on trees,

Of course it does. Where do you think paper comes from? ??

New service station scam - privateinvestor

Get the Burger King App

New service station scam - JoeDoe145

11 June 2021

New to this forum. Can someone please post this as new. I cannot see how to do it. Stopped at Fleet Moto stop scam today and fell for this old scam of need money to buy petrol and food. annoyed at myself as I avoided it many times before but this Irish guy well dressed approach me, flashed his bank card, rehea***d sob story he will pay me back etc and before you know it walked to cash machine and gave him £50..He asked for 150. Will never help another person outside of my church. Best advice is to offer to buy petrol or food, never cash!!!

New service station scam - Miniman777

11 June 2021

New to this forum. Can someone please post this as new. I cannot see how to do it. Stopped at Fleet Moto stop scam today and fell for this old scam of need money to buy petrol and food. annoyed at myself as I avoided it many times before but this Irish guy well dressed approach me, flashed his bank card, rehea***d sob story he will pay me back etc and before you know it walked to cash machine and gave him £50..He asked for 150. Will never help another person outside of my church. Best advice is to offer to buy petrol or food, never cash!!!

Interesting.

I was parked at the new Rugby services yesterday, was just finishing a sandwich and clocked a guy, early 30s, well-dressed casually, making a bee line for my car - which hd been valeted hours earlier and is a BMW. He ignored the couple nearby in a newish camper van, and a chap in a Sprinter van on my right who had his window open.

He said he had a 'problem' and could I help. I said no, sorry as I was just leaving. Saw him walk away and approach another guy walking from his car - didn't hang around as I had an appointment and was on the move.

May be wrong, but I suspect the money scam was about to be played on me, though part of me felt guilty for 10 seconds for being uncharitable - but I am no mug.

Clearly this is another new type of scam to be aware of.

New service station scam - bathtub tom

SWMBO was approached at a station by someone with a sob story. Reminded them it had happened the previous week.

I've been approached to ask to borrow my 'phone. Pointed out there was a coinbox a few yards away.

Picked up a take-away and been asked to help start a car, drove away.

Acquaintance (who could handle themself) was approached for a fag, they then asked for more. He kicked one in the goolies and the other in the kneecap.. Half-an-hour later he passed on the other side of the road, an ambulance was attending.

New service station scam - primus 1

My wife once gave someone a tenner for her train fare with a promise to pay it back, still waiting, now we’ll be very wary about helping out someone in the future,

my wife once followed a smart looking newish beemer into a car park, when she was going into town, a couple of guy’s got out and paid for their parking, she happened to see them in town where one of them was sat begging complete with bowl and everything, so be aware folks, just how expensive parking in York is,

New service station scam - Steveieb

Same thing happened to me at the M1 Services at 15a

But typical of my luck , instead of some slim Eastern European girl approaching me to borrow money I was approached by someone looking distinctly like Robbie Coltrane in his gipsy mode that he developed for “Five go mad in Dorset”.

He was waving at me from his Toyota Carina, so initially I thought it may be SLO on a trip south but checking the number plates i notices they were Irish.

Next came the patter, “I’m in a dreadful mess, and I need to ask you for your help”.

Turned away he just said “Bless you sir “ then scoured the car park for cars just arriving.

So has there been some new developments on the scam ?

New service station scam - Zippy123
Similar happened to me yesterday.

Very attractive girl lent in to the car asked for money etc. I said no, but noticed my wallet was gone.

Got a new wallet and went back to the same car park today just to see if it would happen again. :-)
New service station scam - Steveieb

Blimey Zippy , did you report Ito the police?

New service station scam - Steveieb

On reflection they may have been after my daughters cockerpoo dog which I was handing back. They are now worth £3500.