The Gypsies are back in the Villages !
 

The Gypsies are back in the Villages, Travelers as called in some countries.
They are on the street corners, in front of the grocery stores, women and children, and good looking families For hundreds of years they have perfected there scams, its cash they want, and I have seen so many bleeding heart Villagers feeding them money. They look just like you and me, but believe me they have profected there trade. I have called the police, and by the time they get there there gone, they will not stay in one place more than 10 minutes. Its cold now up north, so they really enjoy our weather, and the generosity of the Villagers with out a clue. Friday I saw them get 3 hits in 2 minutes, today I saw 4 hits in 2 minutes.
Trust me here they have more money than you have.

Please call the police dispatch, Lake county, Sumter or marion counties when you see the beggars with the signs.

Thake a photo of them, watch them run!

Saw a woman at the corner of O'Dell and where you come out of Colony Plaza. Sign said she lived in her car and needed help - had a young boy with her. She looked more Hispanic than gypsy. First time I've seen something like this in TV. No I didn't call the police 'cause I felt sorry for her - not sorry enough to give her money, but sorry enough to leave her alone.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/20/su...poor.html?_r=0

A friend sent me this link today. He was pick pocketed in both Amsterdam and Prague by them. People with whom I have toured various parts of Europe were pick pocketed by them. They use their children, too. Beware of them. They are not as they appear.

They come in all nationalities, that is the MO, most all say that with children too.

Yes Kathie - thank you, I meant Colony and Morse.

This is disturbing

hope this is not the norm in TV I will be looking for a home next week so hope this is not a major problem

Gypsies
 

No........... this is not a matter of poverty. This is a lifestyle.

In my younger days I was a deputy sheriff in Tampa. We watched closely for the annual influx of the Gypsies. We could often spot them as they traveled from the north into our county in pick up trucks loaded with cheaply made outdoor furniture. People who bought the furniture would find it fell apart quickly.

Next we would start getting calls from people who had been swindled by Gypsies who went house to house offering refinishing of asphalt driveways or re-roofing houses. It would turn out that the refinishing liquid would wash off during the next rain and the roofing was done with substandard material, or if they were paid in advance the work was not done at all.

At the same time, the day after they canvassed a neighborhood for "work" things which were left outdoors would be found to have been stolen.

This would be a good time for Villagers to quit leaving valuables, especially golf clubs, unattended in their golf carts.

Beware of the children. They are adroit pickpockets.

I take it that this group has been in TV before? Where do they stay when they are here? RV's campgrounds or motel's......sounds like this group raises the Bar of panhandling to a high level.

I didn't think this population of people were much into panhandling. Think they are better at pickpocketing and scamming with work they will do for you.

Not to worry. No panhandlers where you come from?
The laws in FL have changed and this is against the law.

No reports in the last 11 years of being in TV. However, they in the past were near the Walmart on 441 and Home Depot. And at the exit of I75 at CR484.................been gone the last year.

Well, I've met a few people residing and visiting here, who complain there's not enough "diversity" in TV.

I like the real diversity of people coming from every state of the U.S., and from other countries.

I don't think we need to coddle or pander to swindlers and pickpockets, but some will look the other way on lawbreakers to prove a point.

There are panhandlers and there are The Gypsys Travlers.. The Gypsies have been preveloent in Texas and Georgia where we have lived before...Yes, beware. Normally they are scammeres. It is now against the law to panhandle in all three Village counties. Report these people... Most are professionals....not needy souls.

They are gone because Marion County finally passed a law against panhandlers.

One of their big scams are diversionary burglaries. One of them will come to the door, try to get you in the backyard for whatever reason then others hiding in the vehicle will exit the vehicle and go into the house and rummage for jewelry,money anything of value. They will pose as tree trimmers, utilities personnel, One give away is hand held two way radios. They speak in Romani, which their appearance and language can be mistaken for Hispanic. I have studied them, and they are VERY fascinating people with a VERY organized criminal network.

For many they migrate to warm florida, not just TV, but sure are good pickings here. They could be in RV,s look for the most expensive cars parked along side.

keep your eye on the cute children, they are masters of there art :evil6:

Isolated incidents DO NOT = a major problem!
9++ years and have not seen anything like what the thread presents = isolated incident(s).

btk

Interesting! There was just some outdoor furniture stolen from the Hillsborough Pool either last night or yesterday. Topic related????? Could be.
There was a panhandler last year at Publix in Colony. Right around the Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday. I remember since I called the sheriff's office. There are a lot of naive people living in The Villages, and didn't want to see someone get their wallet stolen or worse. They are isolated incidents, not cause for panic. The more we see it and report it, they will soon get the message out that they are not wanted or being ignored here. Call Community Watch and the sheriff.

In my 30+ years of detecting, preventing and investigating fraud I found the "Travelers" to be the most evasive and illusive organized groups of all. In my experience they were seldom involved in petty thefts but were prone to scams involving roofing, driveways or wind damage repairs on houses. A favorite ploy of theirs was finding hail damage (which they created) on siding and roofing and encouraging "us" to file homeowners insurance claims. I have not heard of them panhandling - but it may be a ploy to obtain your address.

As I was leaving St Timothy s parking lot this morning there was a man with 3 kids holding a sign that said he lost his job and needed money to pay his rent and feed his kids.

This afternoon, around 2pm, there was a woman outside the entrance to Southern Trace shopping center. She was holding a sign that said that she and her young son were forced to live in their car as she had lost her job. The child was sitting on the grass next to her. She definitely looked Roma. I went into the shopping center and called Community Watch who said that they had had several complaints about her and they were sending someone over. I didn't wait to see if they actually came, but this sounds similar to the story that a former poster said happened outside of Colony.

I watched a series about them, the criminal part was never mentioned.. the focus was the brides and the weddings soo over the top

Or you might say since I have morel values, I do not lie or steel. All in how you look at it.

Lived here 4 years. I have never seen anyone panhandling, loitering or going house to house begging or with criminal intent. Saw plenty in NYC, Brooklyn and suburbs, and in San Francisco and suburbs, and in Miami and suburbs. Not here.

gypsies
 

gypsies
 

Saw someone with the same sign saying he lost His job at the publix's parking lot in Spanish springs, he had four kids and a woman sitting on the grass near him. He was dressed in a red silk shirt,vest and black pants. Thought it was odd. This was around noon.

Saturday saw a woman with a sign stating that she lived in her car and needed money. She had a young boy with her seated at her feet. They were at the driveway near Crispers. I was a bit surprised in seeing them. Having worked in Boston for several years and subjected to many panhandlers asking for money..........I continued riding by them and said a prayer for their well being.

This is a scam. Having been involved in healthcare for many years, most people don't realize all the money and benefits available to people in trouble. So much so, that many opt not to work at all. Between food stamps, WIC, free healthcare, free college and training programs, free cellphones, subsidized housing, paid transportation (including prepaid taxis and busses), that those with several children did quite well. I remember one woman with 9 children who drove up to the hospital to pick up her new baby in a brand new Cadillac Escalade, dripping in heavy gold jewelry, with a smartphone that rarely left her ear, and was given a lengthy list of pre-arranged benefits and freebies. We were all disgusted. Did I mention she never visited her preemie even once before discharge, even when he almost died?

Those truly in need won't need to panhandle. Panhandlers have other motives, IMHO.

To squash the problem before it gets worse, we should probably call Community Watch whenever we see panhandlers on or near Villages property.

Could this band of gypsies have anything to do with the incident involving garbage being gone through last week in Tall Trees? We saw how much community watch did in that event.

I have thought and thought about this since I read it yesterday. I know that you mean well and have a kind heart but I think in this instance that you and I and everyone need to be aware.

When I was a young girl I worked in a religious article store in downtown Columbus, Ohio and once or maybe twice a year there would be the gypsies who came in. The owners said to be aware as they would steal anything including rosaries and missals and bibles.

And they did or they tried.

Some people deserve our help and care and others are trying to benefit off of the kindness that most of us have.

I don't know what these people are doing, but leave them alone or report them or give them a loaf of bread.

I hate to be mean and skeptical, but almost everyone can find work around here.

Lightworker just said that Havana is understaffed.

A CON artist is as scummy as the come.

Last week I watched a woman hitting up customers pumping gas saying she needed just enough gas to get home to get her money that she forgot and she was on empty. Before she drove away, a man with her came out of the store opening a pack of cigarettes.

This is very interesting as per their origin
 

Romania's minorities - Gypsy

This is very interesting. Please click on above hyperlink to read short article.

It is true as we have a dear friend who is Indian from India; was married to a Hungarian born in Budapest, deceased. We've been aware of the lineage of these gypsies for a long time now.

Our Hungarian friend's mom was Romanian. She knew her history, back and forth..........and would often tell us of the gypsies origins....travels and crime sprees...

When I was a little girl, the gypsies would set up in the empty storefronts.
My mom would walk us past and say to us, "Don't look at them; they will put a curse on you".

Just a blast from the past. I wonder if they did? Put a curse on me?

In our town in Vermont, they haven't been around for years now, but about twenty years ago we were warned by our police that they were "getting into homes" via open side and back doors......(summertime).

That was when we'd still go for our evening hike and leave our doors unlocked and open. That's how safe it was.

The police said they were vagabond gypsies.....like the old tinkerers or whatever. Lately, our town has an issue with "panhandlers" which it never has before in the past........but it never mentioned them as gypsies. I wonder?

Probably illegal as in "profiling". How times have changed.

Actually I was just reading about gypsies in relation to the missing Maddy McCann in Portugal. Detectives are checking into some leads of gypsies and child trafficking.......adorable little blonde girl whose DNA does not match the gypsy parents............so another worry. Hope they find her biological parents. She's too young to be Maddy....but there were a lot of other blonde children found with the gypsies.

Anyway.........above article is interesting...........

I wonder how long lived this thread would be if you all were talking disparagingly of another race or ethnic group that has been persecuted throughout the ages and who have been assigned stereotypes.

We heard there was a group walking through Duval Saturday night/early Sunday am. Not a lot could be done as it is a public street. Kinda scary strangers roaming neighborhoods.

This is where politically correct goes out the window, chicken.

Some conclusions are based on poor behavior of a group of people and can only be improved....

I don't know how they can be improved.

Can you tell us?

The rest of us have to conclude that if it walks like a duck, etc.

But you are a chicken. AN anonymous chicken. Watch out for the Fox.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...248AF443754ECB

I did see (I guess it was them) on US 441 by Walmart last year---maybe about this time of year a man & woman asking for money. By the way, people were giving them money as they stopped at the traffic signal. I was headed to Comcast to see if I could talk to a real person about my equipment. Finally gave up on Comcast and bought myself a 79 cent cup of coffee at McDonald's. Didn't see any gypsies in McDonalds.

Most of us are vulnerable because we were generally taught to think the "best" of people and give them the benefit of a doubt. From reading about these people---BEWARE!