<p>Sounds like this person could use some human contact, even if you don’t want to lend him $750 (which is a LOT of money).</p>
<p>I have to agree that it does sound like some of the common e-mail scams. If I wanted to borrow money from someone, e-mail would not be my method of choice for asking. Having said that, I also would not loan the money. I am with Ben Franklin on this one–no borrowing, no lending.</p>
<p>Are you sure this isn’t a scam?</p>
<p>I actually got an email that appeared to be from a poster on this board – it appeared to be from <a href="mailto:postername@gmail.com">postername@gmail.com</a> but when I clicked, was really something like <a href="mailto:postername@someothermail.com">postername@someothermail.com</a> - and it said that she was on vacation in England, was robbed, needed $1,000 to pay off her hotel bill, etc. Now, I do know a few things about this poster and her lifestyle in real life and I had to chuckle that she wouldn’t ever have a way of coming up with $1,000. But meanwhile, it was a scam. Unless you’ve talked to the guy and know it to be true, I wouldn’t take an email seriously. I think you are under no obligation for someone who is such a casual friend / acquaintance.</p>
<p>I got one of those emails also.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl–that is exactly the scam story I was thinking of but was too lazy to type it out.</p>
<p>I would not “lend” money to an acquantaince. I would not expect to be repaid under the circumstances that you suggest. I might give money to someone that I thought really really needed it, but in general, for someone who is really desperate, I would rather give food or blankets or diapers or whatever they really lack. I realize that this is supposed to be for a car repair so the fellow can find work. </p>
<p>I guess this really bothers me because over the years I have had a few employees who could not afford a car, and they took the BUS to work. These were hard working people who had never had many advantages in life, but they knew how to get to work and get a paycheck. A couple of these employees even saved their money to buy a used car.</p>
<p>Some people always have an excuse for why they can’t take care of themselves. That said, if you go to the same church, maybe you can suggest to your clergyman to find out about it and take up a collection. Recently our clegryman took up a collection for a funeral for someone (who obviously could no longer work to pay the bill.) Now that is not quite the same, but if your church members are in the habit of taking care of each other, then maybe it is not so out of line.</p>
<p>Ignore and delete the email. Problem solved.</p>
<p>No public transport where he is now–he wants to move back to the DC area (halfway across the country) where his wife’s family is from, where he quit a job a year or so ago, and look for work there. And his wife could probably find a job there or get her old job back, too.</p>
<p>I had the “ignore and delete” impulse, too. Out of sight, out of mind.</p>
<p>But you’re right–H should check with him to make sure the request is legit.</p>
<p>No way. This person isn’t a close friend and there is just no reason to do it.</p>
<p>I was in a different situation in that a close friend asked to borrow $1700 to handle a cash flow problem until the end of the month – her husband had recently been laid off and they were trying to figure out how to best withdrawal from their investments. I felt that it would be petty and distrustful to not loan it to her, and did it. Months later, I really needed this money, I am the villain asking her to pay me back, and I never saw her again. After I brought it up, we tried to get together a few times but she always cancelled. I really think that she was being honest when she asked for the short-term loan, but things don’t always work out.</p>
<p>I am in the make it a gift camp. If it ever comes back even better.</p>
<p>“Neither a borrower nor a lender be”.</p>
<p>My late FIL, a very charitable man, often “loaned” others money understanding that he never intended to see it returned; sometimes it was repaid, sometimes it wasn’t. Several months before his death, one of FIL’s friends who had embezzled money from in-law’s boat club asked FIL to borrow more than $200K (to re-pay embezzled amount). FIL declined the request.</p>
<p>My friends don’t ask me to loan them money … I guess they know I don’t have it to give.</p>
<p>Don’t do it. We got a similar email asking for $500 for someone who supposedly had all of their documents stolen when traveling abroad. The email claimed they needed help just to get plane tickets home. Their email account had been HACKED…they did NOT send the email…and in fact were not even out of the country.</p>
<p>Now if you were to speak to this person IN PERSON not over the phone, I would be prepared to ONLY loan money that I expected never to see again. I would NOT do this except for a VERY VERY close friend or a relative.</p>
<p>Don’t do it. We got a similar email asking for $500 for someone who supposedly had all of their documents stolen when traveling abroad. The email claimed they needed help just to get plane tickets home. Their email account had been HACKED…they did NOT send the email…and in fact were not even out of the country.</p>
<p>That happened to one of our book group members.
Apparently she was known to her neighborhood friends as someone most likely to…
get into trouble while overseas , and they were about to wire her money.
I think that was just chance, but don’t give anyone anything who asks for it by email- if it is not confirmed by DNA results.
;)</p>
<p>You could take the email and type in the first sentence in google and see if it’s a known email.</p>
<p>I think he should have called your hubby and discussed it. Not an e-mail.</p>
<p>When I have friends in trouble, I am more than willing to send them a grocery store gift card or gas card. </p>
<p>I would get more details from the guy and I would be more willing to send money directly to the car dealership or business where the car is being repaired. Then you KNOW exactly what is happening with the money. Unless the car place is dishonest. Whew…</p>
<p>Oh good lord, the fact that it is an email has scam written all over it. People don’t normally email acquaintances and ask for money.</p>
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<p>This exact thing happened to a close friend a few months ago. Suddenly, she was besieged with phone calls from friends wanting to know if everything was okay.</p>
<p>I don’t “loan” money to friends. I give money to friends, and tell them that when they have enough, to pass it on to someone else.</p>
<p>(and, yes, I’ve gotten scam letters from poor friends in London who I’d only seem an hour ago…)</p>
<p>H finally emailed him back and asked him to call–which he did. He also forwarded the original email to me–way too many personal details to be a scam (exactly how he lost his job, etc.) But good to be aware that these scams exist. Anyway, he and his wife have been separated and are trying to get back together. When I heard the details, I did feel sorry for him and wanted to help him out. After talking to him, H agreed to loan him $700. He says he’ll pay back $100/mo. We’ll see. . .</p>
<p>atomom…ok…you helped somebody…that’s a good thing…</p>