Thanks for the commentary-free Wikipedia article link, but in skimming across it, I don't see any significant mention of the cases I discussed which are scammers who are faking it. The article chiefly seems to be concerned with real, or perceived real, emergencies, and how they relate to large crowds of witnesses.
If is often the case that scammers who are faking distress will isolate and approach potential victims rather than attract a crowd. Especially with people who lurk outside of grocery stores or some other venue. Once I was approached by an "out of gas" individual at a rather lonely intersection of downtown. There were no other witnesses around, until an official in a uniform vest came to intervene.
NoZebra120vClip|2 years ago
If is often the case that scammers who are faking distress will isolate and approach potential victims rather than attract a crowd. Especially with people who lurk outside of grocery stores or some other venue. Once I was approached by an "out of gas" individual at a rather lonely intersection of downtown. There were no other witnesses around, until an official in a uniform vest came to intervene.