Habitual Amtrak ticket Scammer in LA Union station.

[jcs]

Seeing the tread Crying Amtrak girl made back in 2010.

I recently encountered a situation in LA union station where a There is a guy, asian of Cambodian/Chinese origin possibly in his 40s who states he needs in need of help getting home following immigration detention, wants people to either lend him money to buy Amtrak tickets to Oceanside to get to San Diego or have someone buy him ticket, on the false pretense that he will travel on the same train and return the money once in SD. Though in the end he apparently doesnt actually travel on a train but he pockets the money or takes the ticket back for refund. And will ignore phone calls with people he shared his number with. Apparently he also uses the ticket so he could stay in the station without being cited for loitering.

Apparently this guy is easy to identify he kind of look like Bruce Lee, he has a large dragon tattoo on right arm and several tattoos including a 2004 on left arm.

And that ticket agents and security and several people witnessed him doing this. I would be curious what will it take to get this guy busted so he wont keep doing this to unsuspecting good Samaritans.

 

[gswager]

It happens more common than you think. I don't trust anybody for tickets, except machine and ticket booths, esp. in downtown train stations.

 

[MikefromCrete]

You wouldn't believe the number of guys I've run into in downtown Chicago claiming they need money to get back home to Joliet (or some other place). Just keep moving.

 

[BCL]

I got suckered into something like that once, although I didn't get a pledge that the money would be returned. Didn't feel too good about it.

The thing was that I offered to take this person to the station and buy a ticket with my AGR points. I think back then it would have cost 1500 points because San Joaquin was a "special route" that included all bus connections. Probably should have stuck to that offer.

 

[caravanman]

I gave $50 to a woman with two kids who was camped out for the night in the LA Union Station. She seemed genuine, down on her luck, and didn't ask for help. Mind you, that was back in the happy days of $2 to the £1...

The folk that annoy me are the "fake monks", being poor isn't a crime in my book, but all "scamming" is.

Ed

 

[Trogdor]

You wouldn't believe the number of guys I've run into in downtown Chicago claiming they need money to get back home to Joliet (or some other place). Just keep moving.

See it all the time. Guys that have been asking for several weeks for $12 to get to Joliet (or wherever) when the actual Metra fare is quite a bit lower.

 

[TinCan782]

Seeing the tread Crying Amtrak girl made back in 2010.

I recently encountered a situation in LA union station where a There is a guy, asian of Cambodian/Chinese origin possibly in his 40s who states he needs in need of help getting home following immigration detention, wants people to either lend him money to buy Amtrak tickets to Oceanside to get to San Diego or have someone buy him ticket, on the false pretense that he will travel on the same train and return the money once in SD. Though in the end he apparently doesnt actually travel on a train but he pockets the money or takes the ticket back for refund. And will ignore phone calls with people he shared his number with. Apparently he also uses the ticket so he could stay in the station without being cited for loitering.

Apparently this guy is easy to identify he kind of look like Bruce Lee, he has a large dragon tattoo on right arm and several tattoos including a 2004 on left arm.

And that ticket agents and security and several people witnessed him doing this. I would be curious what will it take to get this guy busted so he wont keep doing this to unsuspecting good Samaritans.

If he is trying to get to San Diego, why is he asking for an Amtrak ticket only to Oceanside? Metrolink only goes as far a Oceanside then, he would need a Coaster or Amtrak ticket to get the rest of the way south. An Amtrak ticket would get him all the way to San Diego on one train. Something isn't making sense in the way the scenario is presented.

I don't believe I've encountered or seen this person (yet).

 

[railiner]

Many years ago, I used to ride a certain LIRR train home, out of Penn Station. This 30ish year old guy would get on, and make a spiel saying he lost his wallet, and needed just x more dollars (forgot amount), to get home, while holding a couple of dollars in the air as "seed money"...

Some times he would get contribution's, sometimes not...but in either case, he would then leave the train before it departed.

He must have done this on numerous trains all day. And would be careful not to board the same train for a period.

One day, he was back on my train for the third time. The guy in the seat across the aisle from me called him over, and told him to sit down, and he would pay his fare, when the conductor came through. The scammer hesitated and said, thanks, he would be right back, and hurried off the train, never to be seen again...

 

[BCL]

That’s bold asking specifically for Amtrak tickets, since they can be refunded. But in my case I’d offer to “buy” a ticket with points since only points could be refunded, and only back to my own account.

How is this guy getting money back though? Wouldn't most people use credit cards? I thought a refund goes back to the original form of purchase.

 

[cpotisch]

I thought a refund goes back to the original form of purchase.

I'm pretty sure that's correct. Maybe they plan to sell it to someone else.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

This happens 90% of the time I go to buy a NJ transit ticket at NYP.

 

[lthanlon]

I like how these panhandlers usually seem to be short some ridiculously specific about of money to ... wait for it ... get home.

After having been suckered a couple times in my salad days, I’ve now come to the conclusion that all of these folks are scammers.

If people didn’t give them money, they’d go away.

 

[cpotisch]

I like how these panhandlers usually seem to be short some ridiculously specific about of money to ... wait for it ... get home.

Well if someone knows how much a ticket costs and how much money they have, it's not hard to know how much money you need.

 

[lthanlon]

Well if someone knows how much a ticket costs and how much money they have, it's not hard to know how much money you need.

True enough. But the purpose of the specific amount is that suckers will consider “I need $13.64” more believable than “Can you give me $20?”

 

[lthanlon]

The best scam I ever encountered was at Los Angeles Union Station. In the crowded waiting room, a guy kept pestering people until he found one who’d let him borrow their cellphone.

The scammer then sat next to the Good Samaritan and called his “mother.” A five-minute conversation then ensued in which everybody heard the scammer explain to “mom” that yes, she was right that he shouldn’t have come to LA on vacation with his friends when they all had just about no money. The friends decided to hitchhike back to Albuquerque, but he’s taking her advice and trying to get an Amtrak ticket home.

The problem, he explains to “mom,” is that he’s $24.50 short of being able to purchase a coach ticket home.

Judging by the scammer’s side of the conversation, “mom” is apparently asking what happened to junior’s cellphone. He sheepishly admits it was stolen and that a kind stranger is allowing him to borrow theirs.

Here’s where what’s a usually B-level production goes full-tilt MGM musical.

The scammer then tells the Good Samaritan that “mom” wants to talk to them. He hands the phone back to its owner, who starts conversing with “mom” and explaining that it’s no problem at all letting her son use the phone.

Now the scam moves in for the kill. “Mom” then asks the mark if they’d be able to loan junior $24.50.

The time I witnessed this, the victim gave the kid $40 so he could get meals and snacks all the way.

Yeah, right. All the way to the nearest dope dealer two blocks away.

 

[BCL]

I thought a refund goes back to the original form of purchase.

I'm pretty sure that's correct. Maybe they plan to sell it to someone else.

Makes it kind of difficult though. However, I've typically been asked for ID when I bought at a ticket window. Wouldn't the staff be tipped off to the same guy? And of course they not supposed to be transferable, along with the difficulty in finding someone who needs the exact ticket.

I guess the one time it didn't end up badly was the time I was just taking my kid to a station on National Train Day just for kicks. Wasn't riding, but someone asked to borrow my cell phone with a sob story about having her wallet stolen. She didn't ask for money, but claimed that she needed to call her credit card provider. I did hand over my phone, and in the end all she did was call a toll-free number when I got my phone back. I've heard of some crazy stuff like these phone numbers in the Caribbean that have some sort of automatic collect call service that bills the caller. They'd call in to various numbers randomly and when they got callbacks they would then collect. But that didn't happen to me. And I stood there to make sure I got my phone back.

 

[jcs]

Interesting they only require tickets to purchase tickets but not to refund them.

While this is done in the name of security, it appears only security measure this provides is to help prevent ticket scalping which a middleman buys a large amount of tickets often at low bucket price, thus driving prices up, and resell it at a much higher price and profiting the difference,The rest is security theatre. Though ticket scalping, had been a quite major issue in China where scam artists prepurchase large amounts of tickets ahead of new CHSR lines or prior to major holidays, and reselling them at a ridiculous price lead to China require IDs for purchasing CHSR tickets.

Though this guy also have a new plan of saying that he cannot be seen taking money from someone and thus asks the money giver to hide from the view of security or ticket agents.

Apparently he hits when the last trains of the day are departing and that Amtrak is the only option while other trains stop. And that he could not wait in the station waiting seats if he buys a cheaper commuter train ticket for next morning as the waiting seats is only for Amtrak passengers and security/Amtrak police are keen to make sure people have tickets.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Brings to mind the Classic Story of the New York City Panhandler @ Grand Central who worked this Scam for years.

When the LD Trains had all left taking the Wealthy Folks on their Journeys, and the Commuters were all gone to the Burbs, he would have his Limo pick him up and head for his Estate in Jersey!

May even be True!

 

[jcs]

Thanks for all your replies, so who to contact to put a stop to such potential scammers that had been identified by so many people?

 

[crescent-zephyr]

??? It's a free country. People can ask other people questions. Security will eventually recognize repeat solicitors.

 

[cpotisch]

Thanks for all your replies, so who to contact to put a stop to such potential scammers that had been identified by so many people?

There are always going to be scammers in the world. In most cases, you’ve just got to use your best judgement when you meet one and then move on with your life.

 

[TinCan782]

Thanks for all your replies, so who to contact to put a stop to such potential scammers that had been identified by so many people?

There are always going to be scammers in the world. In most cases, you’ve just got to use your best judgement when you meet one and then move on with your life.

LAPD now has a pretty good presence at/in LAUS.

Since you mentioned Amtrak tickets, perhaps contact them at the station.

Perhaps LAUS itself ... http://www.unionstationla.com/contact

Regardless of who you contact, don't expect much to happen if the person is not physically threatening someone. Good advice by cpotisch in his reply to you.

 

[jcs]

It's against the rules of conduct at the station, and he's habitual(not once or twice but recognized by ticket agents), so they could remove him. It is also theft by deception under CPC 532(a).

Only if Amtrak police is willing to do a sting when he goes to the window since he is a regular. From what I heard the police at the station are reluctant to do anything. The security personnel in the station, of course not all of them of course, seems to be only good at giving people an attitude. LA can really have lots to learn from other world cities in improving its train station and airport.

 

[BCL]

LAPD now has a pretty good presence at/in LAUS.


Since you mentioned Amtrak tickets, perhaps contact them at the station.

Perhaps LAUS itself ... http://www.unionstationla.com/contact

Regardless of who you contact, don't expect much to happen if the person is not physically threatening someone. Good advice by cpotisch in his reply to you.

Wouldn't there likely be some sort of stay away order where it would be considered trespassing to even be there? Just the other day I was in a supermarket parking lot going in when a police car pulled up and the officer started barking at this guy (looked homeless). At first the officer was accusing the guy of having something stolen inside of his trench coat. Then after he showed what was under the coat the officer said he was banned from the store and had no right to be on store property.

Couldn't something like that be applied to a perpetual scammer?

 

[TinCan782]

There are a lot of people at LAUS who are not train passengers...homeless or otherwise. There are non-passengers there who have a legitimate right to be there (they work nearby at Metro or the Metropolitan Water District HQ or simply stopping by for a drink at Traxx) Where do you start?

Someone run off the property will just show up again.

Making control more difficult, Metro is actively working to make Union Station a "social" destination by hosting and promoting activities that, frankly, have nothing to do with rail travel or commuting.

"Metro acquired the station in 2011, managing the property that currently serves as a transportation hub for Metro, Metrolink, Amtrak and other transportation services as well an urban mixed-use development site. Adjacent downtown Los Angeles and El Pueblo, the stations’ close proximity to the Los Angeles Civic Center, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, the Arts District, Los Angeles River and Boyle Heights make it a favorite stop for Los Angeles visitors and locals alike."

https://www.metro.net/about/union-station/

(I pass through LAUS twice a day on my daily commute)