Scammer or beggar? Man warns about stranger approaching students to pay for his McDonald's meal at Bishan

Students usually don't have much money to call their own and most depend on their parents for pocket money. 

So, one can imagine how alarmed some students were when a middle-aged man tried to get them to pay for his food. 

And not forgetting the element of stranger danger too. 

One of these students told Instagram page Sgfollowsall that the incident happened at Junction 8's McDonald's outlet. This was shared in a post on Wednesday (March 22). 

The student, who was with a friend, said they were trying to buy ice cream when the man allegedly approached them and asked for help to order his food. 

"I thought he meant that he didn't know how to press the items on the kiosk, so my friend helped him," explained the student.

But they were wrong. 

After keying in his order, which was an upsized meal that cost between $7 to $9, the man asked them to help pay for it. 

"After hearing that, I knew something was wrong! I told the man 'No, I no money,' but this man insisted," the student recounted. 

After being rejected, the stranger left them alone. 

However, he wasn't done — he allegedly approached five other people, mostly students, to try his luck once more.

To warn them, the student told them that this man had no money and was hoping someone would help pay for his food without returning the money. 

Undeterred, this man went over to a KFC outlet next door to approach other students. 

"It's not that I do not want to [help him] pay. But it's the fact that [he is] asking people to order $7 to $9 worth of food for you in a fast food restaurant when you can order a $3 meal at a hawker centre nearby, which is more worth [it]," explained the student. 

Could have shown him kindness?

While the student felt like the man's actions were uncalled for, several netizens begged to differ. 

Some pointed out that there is no harm in paying it forward and giving the man a free meal, while others felt that the students could have shown the man more kindness. 

But there were also some who sided with the students and said they did the right thing. 

One reassured them that she would have done the same thing while another warned that "beggars" usually target students because they are "easy to deceive". 

AsiaOne has reached out to the student for comment. 

ALSO READ: Fraud or not? Elderly man begs for money at Ang Mo Kio, claims it's to raise money for mum's funeral

melissateo@asiaone.com 

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