In reply to the letter (January 20) asking “Was I a Samaritan or connned?”, I’m afraid I think it was a case of the latter.

About a year ago, my daughter and I were sitting in her car in North Station Road (in the same area) when a young woman banged on the window looking distressed.

She said she’d just had a row with her boyfriend and he had hit her and thrown her out and she needed money to get to her mum’s at Braintree.

Both my daughter and I gave her money, as did your reader.

You think “what if I was in that position?” although we both said “it’ll probably be spent on drugs”.

Some months later, as I left Leisure World, I was again stopped by a similarlooking female saying she’d just had a message saying her sister had been rushed to hospital and she urgently needed the taxi fare as she had no money.

I said I didn’t believe her as I thought she’d stopped me before and she went off to stop someone else.

This sort of deceit is so despicable as it really puts you off wanting to help anyone.

Name and address
supplied

...In response to the recent reader’s letter, “Was I a Samaritan, or conned?” I suspect it was the latter.

I have been approached by a woman before (outside St Botolph’s train station), whom I suspect may be the same scammer.

The story was very similar and the woman (in her mid to late thirties) stated she needed £2.50 for petrol.

Suspecting the woman was up to no good, I suggested that £2.50 probably wouldn’t be enough fuel to get her car started, but would be happy to drive her home to get some money.

The response was instant verbal abuse.

Three days later, there she was again, asking someone else for £4 for some petrol.

As soon as she saw me, she made a sharp exit.

She is also known in my pub for doing the same and in some cases has tried the same scam on the same person two days in a row.

Ritichie Hicks
Golden Noble Hill
Colchester