'Disabled Veteran' Con man, Loves truck stop, Fairplay, SC

Truck stops in the US aren't quite as bad as they used to be, but you'll still  run into various con artists, panhandlers, and prostitutes.

Over the years I've noticed several groups of con men who 'work' truck stops, and will see them in different truck stops,  throughonut a region, and sometimes at different truck stop thousands of miles apart.

The 'disabled vetereran' in this video is working in tandem with a second black con artist I have seen at a different truck stop in Missouri.  (He does not show up  in this video, but was off camera, working another area of the parking lot.)

Other gangs of con men who work truck stops are often larger, and may include up to 4-5 members, working in unison.  One or two will act as 'ropers', to steer in victims, and also as watchmen for police or security.    

One of the more common cons you see in truck stops is '3 card monte', where you are enticed to join in a 'card game' set up behind some parked trucks.   The game is rigged, all people playing the game are members of the gang, and you will lose, and/or get beaten up and robbed.

I've also seen a group sales of cheap imported knock off kitchen ware.   I'm serious, hard to see the profit, but they'll walk around the truck stops, pretending to be a fellow trucker who 'just happens to have ONE case of brand name cookware' left over from a load they just delivered, and for $40, it can be yours!
Usually this is a 'corning ware' type of product, but the box they will show you is not name brand, and you can probably buy the same thing at a discount store for $10.    Hard to imagine it is profitable, but truckers are pretty gullible.      You'll also see them doing this with cheap power tools.      

Amazingly, if they sell the 'one case',  you can watch them go to a parked van in the truck stop, and emerge with another 'just one case', and continue trolling for dummies.

'Stranded motorist' or other  person in distress is another con you see at truck stops.   

A few years ago, I saw the same, 20-ish, somewhat attractive white female at truck stops in 3 states in the Northeast.

She would be crying loudly, and if you talked to her, she claimed her boyfriend had thrown her out of the car, 200 miles from home, and she had no money to get home.

Stupid truckers would give her money.

Charity is nice, save it for people who need and deserve it.

I saw the same lady, with the same story, 4 different times, in truck stops in a 300 mile radius.

Either she is the stupidest woman on earth, who keeps getting into the car with the boyfriend who will throw her out of the car, far from home, or she is a thief.      I'll bet on her being a thief.


Another scam you see is 'out of gas, just need a few dollars to get home'.

One youngish white man  drove up to my parked truck and made the pitch 'I'm a college student in XXXX, and need a few dollars to get back to school'.      He showed me a student ID for a college that was one hundred miles away....and EXPIRED 3 years before.

I told him to XXXX off, and watched how he drove around the truck stop, in his car that was running 'on fumes', and stopped at each truck, parked with the car running, walked up to the driver and asked for money.    


Another time near Evansville, IN, a young white lady was working a small truck stop.  I happened to be parked near the building, and the gas pumps.

She gave me the '40 miles from home and no money for gas' story.

I told her no, then watched he walk up to trucks,  and collecting a dollar or two from multiple drivers.    Eventually she walked back to the truck stop building with a handful of dollar bills, and a big smile.

She got into a car parked in the parking lot, and magically a man popped up in the passenger seat.   (He had been sleeping, slumped down, or hiding)

I then watched as she drove up to  a gas pump, SWIPED A CREDIT CARD, and put gas in the car.    

Not over yet!

After putting gas in the car, they drove up to the fast food drive through window, and ordered food.


Don't be stupid.   If you want to help somebody in need, don't hand them cash.    Pay for a few dollars of gas, or pay for a meal.   

Most truck stops have 'no soliciting' policies.   Complain to the truck stop workers when you are bothered by pan handlers or con men in the parking lot.    Some won't do anything.
A few will.

When this kind of activity is tolerated, other criminal activity is also.  

One time at the nasty Pilot truck stop in Columbus, OH, I could hardly get to the door of the truck stop to pay for my fuel without running a gauntlet of panhandlers.
Amazingly, the truck stop manager and an employee were outside, smoking, 15 feet away.
You also had two ugly, crack 'ladies' working the parking lot, in broad daylight.

I don't buy fuel there any more.