“Dear PoPville,
I think there might be a new scam in town. Yesterday by 14th and RI around 7:30am this woman walked up to me looking flustered and said her wallet and purse were just stolen, but she had her phone. She was asking for money to get a cab to Bethesda when I said I didn’t have cash she asked if I had cash app or Zelle (which I don’t). She was very insistent that I go to an atm with her 2 blocks up and when I told her I don’t have a debit card but we should stop into one of the surrounding businesses and see if they can call her a cab she was just very insistent that I give her money and reiterated the ATM. Once I told her I didn’t have a debit card again she kind of dropped the act and said “I’ll just keep asking people” and walked away. Anyway, I just walked past her again today carrying a wad of cash but in the same dress and talking on the phone.
At first I felt bad she was robbed and was trying to help her but it then became very clear she was more about getting the money than recovering from a “robbery”. She couldn’t answer me as to why she couldn’t call an uber on her phone.”