'Looks like my plan worked!': Guy loans 10€ to a shady stranger, gets ghosted until he plays a prank of his own as payback

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Jan 27, 2024 9:00 PM EST

To turn the tides of empathy, scammers will say just about anything. In the hopes of getting whatever they want from their targets– money, favors, mercy– scammy strangers try to manipulate the emotions of the situation. Like the guy in our next story, who desperately approached a random person in the gas station, begging to borrow 10€ so he could drive to see his dying mother one last time. 

Jeez, who could say no to that? 

However, u/Titahn took him at his word. One word specifically… "Borrow". Although OP knew he'd never see that 10€ again, since the stranger was so adamant about paying him back (even offering his contact information to follow up), OP's generosity quickly became intertwined with mischief. Scroll for the entire story of how one man's thoughtful gesture made a scammy stranger quickly regret giving him his phone number to follow up. After this, here's another playful prank played on another deserving target, this time to see about a horse. 

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  • 01
    ww UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 22336 G of the Treanery. A JOANNAN OSA
    via canva
  • 02
    r/pettyrevenge Posted by u/Titahn 1 day ago · The 10€ that really weren't worth it! So, one day at a gas station, this guy comes up to me looking all sorry for himself. He's like, "Hey, can you spare 10€? I need to put gas in my car to visit my dying mother." He even gives me his number, swearing up and down he'll pay me back.
    via Titahn
  • 03
    Now, I might be naïve, but I wasn't born yesterday. I knew the chances of seeing that €10 again were slim to none. But, hey, what if his story was true? I couldn't be the reason someone didn't get to say goodbye to their mom. So, I lent him the cash.
    via Titahn
  • 04
    I get home, and surprise, surprise - radio silence from Mr. Gas Money. A few days later, I reach out, and he's all, "Oh, I totally forgot, I'll pay you back." Yeah, right. After a few rounds of this, it's obvious I'm not getting my money back, and eventually, he ghosts me.
    via Titahn
  • 05
    But I'm patient. I wait a few weeks and then spring into action. I hit up all the popular second-hand selling websites and start posting ads. I'm talking hot-ticket items: cars, iPhones, GPUs (back when they cost an arm and a leg), cozy houses, job offers - all priced to sell, but still believable.
    via Titahn
  • 06
    For the contact info? I used his number and threw in a name with a cheesy pun (think "Owen Munny"... get it? Owing money. Ha!). Two days later, I call him from my girlfriend's phone. I can't even get a word out before he starts yelling at me to leave him alone. Looks like my plan worked! Some of the ads even stayed up for months!
    via Titahn
  • 07
    The only bummer (besides losing that 10€) was getting my main account banned on one of the sites. Probably got flagged for using the same IP as my little sting operation. But hey, a small price to pay for a taste of petty revenge!
    via Titahn
  • 08
    mmm-actually. 1 day ago That was super bizarre that he gave you his real phone number. I can't imagine somebody doing that, since he knew he was going to scam you in the first place.
    via mmm-actually
  • 09
    Titahn OP 23 hr. ago Actually, since he wanted to pay me back, he offered his phone number, I tried to call him on the spot, and it was the right one. My guess is that he thought that nobody would do anything for 10€.
    via Titahn
  • 10
    And I don't think he could have linked this to me, I was very polite and calm when I asked: "Oh, and btw, do you remember last months, when I lent you 10 bucks and you swore you would pay me back ?". Then it was a month and a half after that I put the ads. And since
    via Titahn
  • 11
    he very probably did the same to quite a lot of people, I doubt highly he could trace that back to me. As for the phone number, it's pretty easy to get one (jut by going on the aforementionned second hand ad websites, so I didn't think he could do anything with it. But as said, I may be too naive !
    via Titahn
  • 12
    CrispeeLipss 10 quid well spent 123 1 day ago Reply Share Grouchy-Ad4338 1 day ago Well said. Ten Euros got him plenty of company and may be he actually sold a few things in the end - oh the iPhone is sold already but I still have my iPad if you want to buy :)
    via CrispeeLipss
  • 13
    MadameFlora 1 day ago . When I get the I need gas to go wherever, I pay the cashier for gas and tell them it's only for gas. I came back one time to find the grifter trying to get cash back and her friend having to gas up her car.
    via MadameFlora
  • 14
    derpne13 7 hr. ago I have filled up gas tanks before, along with the plastic, five-gallon ones to help people out. Once I remember the kids in question near crying in gratitude. Another time, however, I remember offering to follow someone to a gas station to fill up his tank, and he told me J forget it." to " It all depends!
    via derpne13
  • 15
    __Squid89 16 hr. ago Huh? 0 Reply Share iliveinsingapore 14 hr. ago Think what he's saying is when someone tries to pull the "spare some change for gas" stunt on him, he went to the cashier and directly paid for their gas while letting the cashier know that the money was for gas and gas only rather than handing the cash over to the grifter. Afterwards the grifter tried to take the money from the cashier, who refused because they were informed that the person might try to take the cash.
    via Squid89
  • 16
    BabyGeeRockz 20 hr. ago I've done this!!! I put a free Honda on Craigslist with their number!!! 3 hours later when I called they picked up screaming they don't have a Honda
    via BabyGeeRockz
  • 17
    Commercial-Tell-5991- 21 hr. ago Never lend anyone money, especially family, if you're not prepared to lose it. Reply Share ... 7 Titahn OP 20 hr. ago Never ask money from an unknown person without paying him back, unless you're prepared to be called 300 times a day for weeks.
    via Commercial-Tell-5991
  • 18
    piclemaniscool 21 hr. ago Maybe I'm even more naive, but could it have been that he forgot because of the whole dead mom problem? If so that seems like a very unfortunate consequence.
    via piclemaniscool
  • 19
    Titahn OP 20 hr. ago I asked him once a week for a months and a half, and the 2 last times he didn't answer. And the previous time he told me "Oh, my bad, sure, I'll do it right now !". So overall, I'd say the chances that he genuinely forgot to pay me back is rather low.
    via Titahn
  • 20
    dogswelcomenopeople 16 hr. ago The few times I've given money to these people asking, with a sob story, I've gone to the pump, used my card, then watched them pump in the fuel. I had one dude say, "But I just need cash!" I said "Welp, you can have gas or not, you choose." He chose poorly. Reply Share... 3 Thevicegrip 1 day ago 10/10 for creativity.
    via dogswelcomenopeople

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owing money student loans revenge stranger petty revenge getting your money back lol pay prank reddit thread Reddit payback owe money
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