the prospect heights scammer works on sunday too

ltjbukem · February 2007

this morning, upon pulling my car into a spot, the guy we all know so well without breaking pace, stopped by me, said, "do you know a car tower anywhere around? i just got into an accident and move here from california, my car...' i stopped him in his tracks, said, yeah, try atlantic, you'll see plenty of car towers and by the way, i know about the scam.

he said, 'what scam?' i said i know about the scam even firmer. this set him off, and he started ranting about, what scam are you talking about, just tell me where the tow car is, what SCAM?!?! you don't have to mention any SCAM, just tell me where the car tower is.

and i said, ' i just told you on ATLANTIC, go there , and yes, i know about the SCAM.

he got really pissed off and walked off talking on his cell phone. he was on his cell phone even before he came up to me. which makes me wonder if he's that smooth that he'll talk on a cell phone and just start his scam out of nowhere?

same guy, with his black frame glasses..unmistakeable...

i dont have the time now, but i'll have to find the link to our thread so that the newbies know what to look out for...

emily · February 2007

He's easiest to find by searching for the word "gaffler."

http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=18&highlight=gaffler
http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=566&highlight=gaffler

The second link has a photo...

alafairnadia · February 2007

he accosted me one morning at like 6:55. no kidding. he started talking and I just said NO. he glared at me and tried again and I said, again, NO. I was walking the whole time and he was following me. very obnoxious.

whyfi · February 2007

If he's up at 6:55 AND he's working on Sundays, why not just get a damn job - you're already workin' hard enough...

remybklyn · February 2007

The fact that I'm 27 and he first approached me with a variation of this scam when I was 18 tells me that he's had plenty of time to look for a fucking job. He came up to me once on 7th Ave and Flatbush...very distraught, claiming that his mom had a stroke and he was in a car accident...and when the cops came, they called him ni**er and so on. He needed $20 to get a cab back to his hotel. I asked him what precinct he dealt with and he said the 78th. I bluffed and took out my cell phone and said, "Are you serious? My dad is a Sgt. at the 78th...he would never stand for such a thing...I'm going to call him and have him come here." He begged me not to call the cops, because he'd already suffered too much abuse at their hands. Then he just took off.

Two weeks later, he tried to hit me up again and said "I was wondering if you could help me out..." I cut him off mid sentence and said..."is it because your mom had a stroke and you were in a car accident and the cops treated you like crap?" He seemed pretty stunned and said "Fuck you buddy!" and stormed off.

ltjbukem · February 2007

the guy's a dirtbag...he should know that ppl are onto him now..but he sure seemed upset that i used the word scam. i think i hurt his feelings..

king without a crown · February 2007

I would encourage anyone who gets confronted by this guy to call the Police with a detailed description of him and a direction of flight. At the minimum he can be charged with Fraudelent Accosting and I'm sure a warrant check would reveal numerous active warrants. I'm sure many people don't call the Police because they dont realize he's actually committing a crime.

apollonia666 · February 2007

Ooooh, I kinda *want* him to approach me now! I didn't know there was such a charge as fraudulent accosting.

I like the approach Remy used.

emily · February 2007

Ooooh, I kinda *want* him to approach me now! I didn't know there was such a charge as fraudulent accosting.

Hee, I know! I've never seen him, but my husband and sister-in-law did once. Unfortunately, it was before we knew his whole history, but they told him to buzz off anyway.

Remy's response is the best!

che · February 2007

I'm not a lawyer, but the fraudulent accosting Class A misdemeanor sounds accurate: http://nycourts.gov/cji/2-PenalLaw/165/165-30(1).pdf (He's approached me twice.)

bojolais · February 2007

Link to his picture:
http://pdberger.com/images/asshole.jpg

mateo · February 2007

I think if he asks you if you know where to find a tow truck, you should say, "Gosh, no, but funny you should ask. Because *I* was just looking for a tow truck! See, I just moved here from California and some a-hole ran into me and took off... completely totalled my car. And I've got no family here; just moved out here... hey, can you help a brother out and spare twenty bucks?"

alafairnadia · February 2007

if I hadn't been rushing to make the 7 a.m. 2 train I would have totally called the cops. as people here have pointed out, if something really pisses me off and it's criminal, I will call 911. funny - I used to be a criminal defense attorney. but I hate stupid criminals.

remybklyn · February 2007

I'll go to the next 77th Precinct council meeting and let them know what's up. They usually have quality of life police there who will take the time to listen to complaints after the meeting.

Sounds like he covers a pretty broad territory if people have been accosted by him as far away as the Methodist Hospital. I'm guessing that he switches up locations to avoid being recognized on a daily basis. I fully encourage people to use the "my dad works for the 77th precinct...let me call him" technique. But not if you want him to be caught...that tactic really scared him off. I think politely saying "sorry, I can't help" and then using a nearby payphone out of sight to call the cops would increase the chances of him getting busted.

the prospect heights scammer works on sunday too

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