'3 card monte' scam gang, in Georgia truckstop

[dash riposki]

I stumbled on these scammers when I stopped for lunch. TA truckstop, Madison, GA, I-20.
(Food and service sucked)

These scammers work in groups, I can count at least 5 people I can connect to this group. It's possible there is more, and a second vehicle. The scammer that approached me wasn't seen getting into the minivan at the end. He seemed to walk toward the front of the truck stop, maybe was picked up later, or there was a second vehicle.
These scam groups usually work a multistate area. You'll see them all over. One group of 'monte tossers' I saw all over the midwest for YEARS.

They're dangerous since some will rob you if you have money, even if you don't fall for the rigged card game, and there are more cohorts than you imagine. Usually all of the people in the 'game' are gang members, with the exception of the one or two stupid truckers who get roped in.

It's a little unusual to see them in the open like this. Usually they set up behind a truck, out of sight.
It's also unusual to stumble on the vehicle they're operating out of. My lucky day!


Dark blue Honda Odyssey minivan, Ohio tag GTW 1060






You can hear the 'roper' talking to me. They use all sorts of line. 'Wow, some trucker is giving away money back here, come see!', go back and you'll find the rigged game, and you're surrounded by 4-5 people who will jump you and rob you if they can't cheat you in the game.

They usually have a couple of members floating around, looking for victims, and also watching for cops or security. It's usually hard to figure out who is involved, unless you all see them get back on the scammer 'short bus'.

 

[dash riposki]

I'm just curious how many members of this conman gang I can single out from the video.


Here is the one I think of as 'howdy doody'.




If you notice the guy with his back to us in the green/gray long sleeve shirt has a piece of cardboard under his arm. This is placed on the ground to do the '3 card monte' game on.
Later in the video when they are playing the game, he is the 'tosser'. (Appropriate in at least two meanings to that term.) I can only see him briefly in the video, since he is kneeling or squatting. Howdy Doody is #1, Tosser is #2.

Looking at the video as I entered the parking lot, a heavyset guy is getting out of the minivan. He is #3.


Then we have the 'have you been to Canada' guy, he is number 4.





Looking at the group pic, I can see these 4.





Here is the tshirt guy next to howdy doody.




I'm pretty sure I see the guy in the group pic next to howdy doody, with jeans, white t-shirt, and a tan-ish baseball cap getting in the van. He would be #5.
It's possible there may have been another gang member in the group.

I only see one person with a 'darkish' shirt get in the van. I'm pretty sure 'Canada' walked to the front of the truck stop.

This is just kind of interesting to me, since I see jerks like this off and on, and usually they scurry off like rats and you can't figure out where they went.

 

[zapstrap]

Keep the doors locked and your mouth shut.

Or tell them about Jesus. Best dang jerk repellent I've found! Works great on testy Care Bears too!

 

[kamkar]

I use to have holy people visit my door, but they only come knocking 1 time

I have a copy of the satanic bible, wave that in their face pretend to be possessed and rave on in a torrent of known and unknown languages, and they never return.

 

[DT MI]

...I have a copy of the satanic bible,...

I used to have one of those myself (a friend gave it to me as a joke).

For a time I lived in the town of Kenosha, Wisconsin. There were a lot of churches there and almost every Saturday members from 2 or 3 would be pounding on my door trying to recruit new members - I would answer the door and ask them to come in and discuss our respective religious beliefs. Almost without exception their eyes would light up and they could not get into the house fast enough in order to try to recruit me into their church.

It was almost funny to watch them squirming in their seats trying to figure out how to get out of the house as fast, or faster, as they got in. It didn't take too many Saturdays before word got around and nobody would come to my door to recruit me any more.

I wish I was as gutsy today as I was then - now I just tell them to go away and close the door.

 

[kamkar]

That should work too, but not nearly as fun.