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Beware: Con Artist on the Loose in Crown Heights

The man pictured above has been seen over the past few weeks, along with a female accomplice, claiming a good sob story to unsuspecting strangers in order to elicit money from them. Sometimes it’s about his car breaking down; other times it’s his mother who passed away or his kids who are sick. He has been noted to specifically target Jews, as they seem to be more passionate to his story/ies. While it is not a crime to collect charity, is is not OK to lie to people and take advantage of their kindness. Please avoid this man, and do not give him money unless he decides to collect charity in an honest way.

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28 Comments

  • jaded

    Lots of Con artists in CH… Including many of the Rabonim and other “authority” figures

  • this is why

    this is why i dotn give to ppl who come knocking on my door or on th st i give to ppl like rabbi lieder or Devorah Benjamin where i kow the money going to the right ppl

  • HONEST WAY?

    Like what he should sit out side 770 with his hand out. Or maybe he should go door knocking, or maybe he should start a non profit “I got needs to feed” oh wait he probably ant afford a lawyer with all the paperwork that the government requires. Its not easy to collect charity the honest way

  • B O B

    His look is one of deceiving trickery. Avoid him like a plague. Let him go work if he is able. There`s a few in every city.

  • I got fooled into giving him.

    This guy cheated me and I fell for it, he told me his daughter was sick and he needed to buy something to check for fever I felt bad and gave him a buck. I saw him three days later and he tried to pull the same shtick on me I did not give him anything. Please do not get scammed. This guy sounds nice he approaches you saying I am over 40 y/o I am not here to rob you blah blah blah DO NOT FOOL FOR IT.

  • Sherlock Holmes

    All these guys are scammers in my opinion. Whats your take? Any one got any info on the men and women who collect in 770 or outside? The guy with the fuky colored clothes and the pouch for example? Or the russian husband wife team?

  • a lie is not good but charity is.

    “dont use the chutzpa of a beggar as an excuse for not helping him” – Rabbi Shmelke of Nickelsburg
    if he is lieing it could be bc the truth wont get him what he NEEDS. our job is to give (if you can) let the almighty judge. “who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord”- Mishle 19:17

  • I Helped this man several times

    Although I like to think of myself as being shrewd and very skeptical this man got me.

    It started near a L’chaim one night at 2 am two years back where he approached me introducing himself as Steve McCollin asking if I knew of any Rabbis that can help him, I replied by asking what kind of help was it that he was seeking, his reply was some money to buy food for him and his kids. and he went on with a story how he used to work as a limo driver in orange county LA making nice money of of driving home drunk rich people late at night from bars, but since his mother got sick he had to come here and be with her stuck with no job.

    Me knowing a bit about Orange county I started making myself ignorant and asking him out of “curiosity” some things regarding his work there, but everything he said about the place was true, then I asked him where hi lives and secretly I got onto my phone searching his name and address and indeed there was somebody with that name living there, it’s not that it’s hard to use someone else’s name and address, but who would make sure to have a real one since someone might yellow page their name on a cell out of suspicion?

    All this plus his “civilized” appearance with a sophistication higher than an average homeless man, led me to think that there might indeed be some validity to what he was saying.

    But like I always do, I told him that I might be able to help him, but it won’t be by giving him money but rather by going with him to a store and paying for the food he chooses.

    He responded positively and not as being disappointed, this again reassured my thought that he might be telling the truth.

    His first suggestion was Mccdonalds or something of that sort, I insisted that if he was indeed in such a dire condition he needs to spend his money wisely and not buy something that will be gone with one meal, so I suggested a grocery where he can buy bread, cereal, milk and so on.

    And we did just so, and this went on for quite a while.

  • Its a new trend here

    Someone came and asked me also, he was walking with a woman on Crown and schenectady.
    Today some non jewish guy outside bank of america on King and e.p. stopped me and asked me how to say “child” in hebrew, I answered “yeled” and ran into the bank. When I came out he said “I asked because my yeled is at home starving and I need your help”

  • david.s

    I once gave him a five dollar bill. he said a story that they had two kids and had no money to by bread, so i gave him and i thought let the guy c that we are nice to guyim not only to yidin. but now i fell real bad and this story will make me think twice the next time someone comes around of this sort, and asks for money….

  • Knotchkie Puncher

    It is a mitzvah to give this man.

    To give him a punch in the knotchkies.

  • Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof

    G-t in himmel!?

    Whether one believes his shpiel or not, gives or not, the issue is Tzedaka.

    Tzedaka unites.
    Tzedaka sustains the nefesh and the guf.
    Tzedaka is mercy.
    Tzedaka is kindness.
    Tzedaka is humility.
    Tzedaka starts at home.
    Tzedaka bring peace.
    Tzedaka is for Yiddin and goyim.
    Tzedaka accelerates Moshiach.

    Giving Tzedaka (for any reason or no reason at all) is when one expects nothing in return.

    Teach him, he need not explain.
    Human beings don’t want to beg/collect, if a person begs, they either need it, or they’re not well, and all the more so are a candidate for Tzedaka.

  • Samim, lo simcha Samim, lo bracha

    When someone tells stories like that, you can be sure that the money is being used for alcohol or drugs.

    I had someone who was not one of ours come over to me on East New York near Family Dollar and claim that Rav Schwei authorized her to beg. Needless to say, she could not produce a letter from him. She did not look sober either.

  • re-phrase your comment

    The reason he is ‘targeting’ Jews it because that is who lives in the neighborhood of Crown Heights. If he was in Harlem it would be black people. Really and you people think the African Americans are the only racists?
    -ChefKe!

  • awacs

    “Can anyone identify his location in the picture?”

    Looks like President & Troy. I think the gate is from the laundry that had the fire.

  • noam

    correct grammar would be “because Jews are more compassionate to his stories” or even better “b/c Jews are more empathetic to his stories”

  • mendy

    last year in misvta OT a woman walk t in saying she had no money and her kids are starving and if anyone can help her and no wan responded and then just 3 weeks ago the man in the pic and the same woman came up to me asking me if i had any money to help them saying that they just moved hear and they had no money.

  • pious fools

    i dont think being a pious fool is the right thing to do-giving a con artist money just ENABLES him to continue. You are NOT doing a con any favors. But there is nothing one can do with pious fools who cannot think for themselves and see the world only in terms of black and white. You want to be a fool and continue this behavior, go right ahead.It’s your money but to think it’s a mitzvah-?oh please, spare me.

  • ITS NO MITZVAH

    TO GIVE TZEDAKA TO ONE WHO DOESNT NEED IT. YOURE FOOLING YOURSELF, AND DO NOT GET THE MITZVA. on the other hand if some of your mony mistakenly gets in the hands of someone wjo needs it- like if you dropped money without realizing and someone poor found it- you do get the mitzva.
    tzedaka means giving to the poor; not just giving.
    so do your hmwk before you give.
    Also, on another note, i find it difficult to swallow how many ppl who can afford necessities take advantage of gemachs; If you work, own a home, own 2 cars, a bungalow and send your girls to israel for seminary, please dont come taking items that was painstakingly arranged for those who do really need it.
    gemachs take the pains to make it as comfortable as possible so as not to embarrass the poor- and when others take advantage, its not fair to those who are trying to hhelp the poor, not to make the rich richer!