Humberside Police say the man approaches members of the public at random in the street, offering to sell them iPhones.I mean, he must have some method of selecting the potentially-dodgy-and-willing-to-accept-hooky-goods from the genuine, fine upstanding citizen, surely?
In the meantime, people are being urged not to purchase expensive electronic equipment offered to them by strangers in the street.Well, quite! Unless you want water or potatoes at iPhone prices, anyway…
With all the legislation that has been passed over the last few years I continue to be amazed that the crime of "being excessively gullible and stupid" has escaped the statute books.
ReplyDeleteWhy oh why don't the Police just laugh at the "victims" in these cases? Instead we get crime reduction initiatives, community partnership bullshit and the usual handwringing when all it takes is to wise up .. even just a little.
I'd like to flatter myself that I would not fall for something like this, but looking at certain governments and banks I've had to do with recently, I'm obviously not as savvy as I wish to think.
ReplyDeleteBut in these cases, if you complain to the police, they do just laugh.
Similar thing happened to me when I bought a bag of potatoes last week and when I got home it was full of laptops.I was really angry.....
ReplyDeleteI was stopped by one of these people when I was shopping on the Purley Way last year.He was offering flat-screen TVs out of his van at very cheap prices.I said that I had enough boxes with bricks in at home thank you.He looked at me sideways and said "are you a gavver?".When I answered yes he drove off.
Jaded
I doubt you have to select too carefully in Hull.
ReplyDeleteThe Real Hustle showed this one in action a little while back. People still fall for it. More fool them, frankly.
ReplyDelete"I doubt you have to select too carefully in Hull" ...
ReplyDeleteIs this article possible confirmation of that fact ?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2166520/Teacher-Nyanza-Roberts-insulted-pupils-Facebook-sent-colleagues-chlamydia-tests-hate-campaign.html#ixzz1zDWtTW1P
Perhaps these vendors were merely following the advice given by the son of the Manse, the vulgar, physically repulsive James Gordon Brown's advice on what to take to a party.
ReplyDeleteWhy oh why don't the Police just laugh at the "victims" in these cases?
ReplyDeleteThey more or less used to but now the future G4S uniformed social worker force has to record everything as a crime if someone alleges it is a crime PLUS all the 'death threats' on facebook and twitter etc etc.
"..I continue to be amazed that the crime of "being excessively gullible and stupid" has escaped the statute books."
ReplyDeleteDon't give them ideas!
"But in these cases, if you complain to the police, they do just laugh."
They need some humour in their jobs too, I guess... ;)
"I doubt you have to select too carefully in Hull."
Ah. Good point.
"People still fall for it."
Fools and chancers will always be with us. PT Barnum was right about that.
"Is this article possible confirmation of that fact ?"
Ah, yes! I must do a follow-up post at 'Orphans' on that one...