Severity of seeker of false charity and the need of law against them

Sometimes ago, I was waiting for a train in Reading (UK) train station in the evening and a teenager approached me saying that she has lost all her money and was desperate to go home. She wanted some money. I refused and got her a train ticket instead. She took the ticket and walk away. Half an hour later I discovered that she was still loitering around the station's lounge area rather than waiting for a train at the train's platform. £4 wasted and I was conned.

Sometimes ago, I was waiting in supermarket car park and again a lady with a child approached me and told me she was in a desperate situation and wanted some money. I refused to give her money and offered her alternative. After a drawn out conversation where she pleaded and begged, she eventually told me she was to go to the toilet and will return shortly. She never returned. 20 minutes later, I saw her again approaching other customer in the car park Wasted my time.

Back in Malaysia, an old man pretended to have difficulties using the ATM machine and a man behind him in the queue offered to help When the money was dispensed, the old man threathened the man that unless he handed over all his money, he (the old man) was going to screamed that he was robbed and the kind man shall then be in deep trouble.

All these, and many others similar fraud are a real threat to our society. It is one thing where a man falls for a scam because of his own greed (e.g. high yield investment, Advance Fee Fraud [You won a lottery but send us $1 million first), it is a total different issue where a man was conned because of his kindness. Such fraud undermines many man's and women's instinct to do good. Worst still, in the ATM scam, one actually gets into deep trouble for trying to do good. An easy way out for many would then be as protective as possible, and be as cold as possible, even to stranger who are in genuine distress.

At present, such fraud are threated as no more than small time con or petty theft. It should not, as it undermines the confidence of the samaritans and potential samaritans who actually bother to care. I was delighthed (albeit thought that the sentence was a little bit too harsh) sometimes back when a Singaporean judge sentence a online credit card thief to 8 years in prisonment, citing that the thief undermines the public's confidence in ecommerce.

It is time where those who undermines the public confidence to do good faces severe punishment. Perhaps we need a Defraud Your Samritan Act. We need a caring society. Not one where everyone is trying to rip everyono else off.