"Please tell me it doesn't say victim on my head"
How do we tell the difference between someone who genuinely needs help and someone who is a con-artist?
As much as we would like to help everyone who is disadvantaged, the reality is that's a mammoth task for one person or even one community to undertake.
In addition, there is the sad reality that not everyone out there is legitimately leading a disadvantaged life. Some people are using that as a disguise so they can gain pity from people and run a con.
The tricky part for us is telling the difference between someone who is genuinely in need, and a person who is running a scam.
A TikToker, Claudia McHaffie, recently shared a frightening experience and said that this was her second time experiencing this.
Whilst browsing at a Dischem store in the beauty section, she was approached by a man who she described as well-dressed. He immediately said to her that he didn't want money and needed help to buy nappies for his baby.
She was taken aback and then told him that she wouldn't be able to help him out. But he persisted, and his continuance made her feel guilty for shopping for a new eyeliner.
WATCH the video, courtesy of TikTok.
@mc_clauds Has this happened to you? How do you handle it? 😣 #fyp #whatthesituation ♬ original sound - Claudia McHaffie
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Claudia shares how fearful she was that this man would follow her back to her vehicle.
And what really shook her was the fact that she does her bit for her community and shouldn't be made to feel guilty for buying what she wants with her money.
It really is a tricky spot to be placed in, when someone feeds off your emotions to guilt you into buying them something. What was even more shocking was to hear others sharing similar experiences.
Hlammi: "I was shopping for my baby and he approached & gave a sob story, I asked why his baby uses premium everything if he’s unemployed? He walked away."
Libra Queen: "Happened to me at supermarkets and Dischem, we must actually report them to security at these places."
Image Courtesy of Pexels