Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/11/15/homeless-man-and-couple-made-u.html
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Ugh. I hope the couple goes to jail for a lot longer than Bobbitt. He may have played along with the scheme, but the core of his story is true. He is actually a homeless person in a country that careth not for its homeless. If anything the whole story is a case-in-point for him. Who can blame him for taking a small part in a grift?
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This actually makes the story less sad stay with me here–when we thought that the couple ripped off the homeless guy, he was a victim along with everyone who donated money. Now, there’s one less victim in the equation, making the aggregate amount of sadness decrease.
It’s simple math, people.
ETA: every online publication, whether it’s BB or Yahoo or whatever, should have a standard block of bold text that goes at the beginning and end of every single viral story about a nasty message left on a receipt or some heartwarming act of kindness or whatever that leads to a Go Fund Me or any other fundraiser that says stories like this are usually proven to be false in the end, and folks should donate to a reputable charity if they want to do good rather than sending money to strangers asking for it on the internet.
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It’s a pretty good example of why this kind of GoFundMe cause is really stupid. People throw money at fundraisers without any evidence of need. How much good could all that money do if it went to charities who work on systemic issues or to advance causes that advocate for public systems and infrastructure? For every little boy who gets $10,000 because his parent’s story about not being able to afford Christmas presents vent viral, there are thousands of other little boys in similar situations.
If you want to donate money, sure go ahead. But it’s so much more effective when it’s planned.
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What a roller coaster.
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Is there no honor among thieves?
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believing he wouldn’t go to the authorities because then everyone gets busted. But he did, and everyone got busted.
I love game theory!
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I am shocked! Shocked I tell you. Well. Not that shocked.
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The couple are some real criminal masterminds, letting their conspiracy hinge on a hobo and then screwing him over.
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OK, what ancient parable does this most resemble?
I’m gonna say “Treasure Of The Sierra Madre.”
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One less victim? Uh, what about all the people who were duped and gave $400k? I’d add several hundred (or thousand?) victims to the equation. Now, there’s some math for ya.
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presumably believing he wouldn’t go to the authorities because then everyone gets busted.
No honor amongst thieves.
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They were already victims when the story was that the couple had just ripped off this man. Hence:
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Damn, after the scheme worked, they tried to rip off the homeless guy? I’m starting to think that grifters may be untrustworthy and unreliable. (if only we’d known that slightly more than two years ago, eh?)
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And speaking of those who gave money, how about completely-unrelated-to-this-event people who, when faced with a chance to help with a completely-unrelated event, will turn a jaded eye and look the other way? (I need help wording this correctly)
I hope they throw the book at all three of them
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Not the first time someone infamously shorted a John Bobbitt.
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“…they all scammed the media and the public, then the couple scammed Bobbitt…”
There is no honor among thieves.
A griftclaimer, if you will.
