OT: Curious if I was targeted (scam) at a Leaf game?

[Punch Drunk Loov]

This took place in December of 2017. Four of us attended a Leaf game (carpooled) and we parked in the large parking lot directly adjacent to the ACC in the square. After the game ended we grabbed food to waste time while vehicles exited the parking lot. When we returned to retrieve our vehicle the lot was pretty much empty thus a clear path to depart.

My friend was driving and noticed there was a car parked at the unmanned parking arm. This was the main exit and naturally you wait for the person in front of you to scan their ticket and after the arm lifts, you drive out. Again the car was simply sitting there so we wait behind it. Suddenly that car starts reversing. Slowly and deliberately. My friend honks the horn, no reaction from the car in front, they bump into us.

A large young man steps out of the car and approaches the window. He looks into our car and he sees there are four of us. My friend angrily asks him "what was that?". The young guy's expression was emotionless and replied in a phrase that gave off the impression like it was scripted: "I was looking for a parking space and I didn't see you. Are you guys okay?" My friend says that we are fine and he gets out and looks at his car and then gets back in. We then back up and the fellow leaves the exit booth and parks into the closest nearby space.

I looked around and there were a group of people all the same age (approximately 30) standing around the exit watching the encounter. They looked like they knew one another. One of the men was wearing a safety vest which gave me the impression that he was an employee of the parking lot. The others were wearing casual attire similar to what the driver was wearing. The whole incident was somewhat disturbing as the driver of the vehicle and the spectators were the only ones present and I couldn't help but think that it was an insurance scam or possibly a robbery. I imagine this area would have a number of cameras so we were all baffled what they were planning. Our car wasn't damaged but there was no doubt in our mind that they were intentionally blocking the exit. Perhaps they decided not to proceed with whatever they had in mind when they noticed it was four people instead of 1 or 2. The guy was not looking for a parking space as he had claimed. The parking lot was basically empty at this point and he wouldn't be lined up to exit the lot if this were the case.

Does anyone have any clue what this was about or have any safety tips if this happens? I think in the future I'd elect to immediately leave after a game to avoid being stuck in a parking lot with a group of these fellas. My buddy was a little aggressive with them but I'm a massive wimp. Would appreciate any insight. Thanks

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[56 Years No Cup]

Did he move his car so you could exit the lot? If not, I woulda called the cops right away. Sounds like a potentially dangerous situation.

 

[phillipmike]

Sounds like a scam for sure. The other guys are "witnesses."

 

[tom leafers]

sounds kind of fishy, maby he was just drunk or an idiot or something.

I dont think it was an attempt at an insurance scam. For an insurance scam theres usually more than one person in the car and they would have hit you much harder rather than just bumping into you.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Did he move his car so you could exit the lot? If not, I woulda called the cops right away. Sounds like a potentially dangerous situation.

He only moved his vehicle after he approached and spoke with us. I gathered that he was getting a look at who was in our car and decided to not proceed with their plan. We were rattled and ultimately brushed it off.


It was also approaching 11PM so we just wanted to get home (about an hour drive).

 

[rent free]

I think it's a scam. There's some crazy goof outs there man

 

[qqaz]

Does anyone have any clue what this was about or have any safety tips if this happens? I think in the future I'd elect to immediately leave after a game to avoid being stuck in a parking lot with a group of these fellas. My buddy was a little aggressive with them but I'm a massive wimp. Would appreciate any insight. Thanks

I am a bit surprised about where this happened, since security cameras would render most scams useless. But a scam could potential happen the way you describe.

Did you notice any damage on the other car? Because here's how it might go, had your friend not had you and other witnesses in the car with him. The other driver has a car with existing damage at the back, like a broken taillight or loose bumper. Then he nudges you, and comes to look at the damage. If you are alone, he says you hit him, and asks for money. He has his friends as "witnesses" and you have no proof.

@tom leafers is correct. It's not really an "insurance scam". More of a hustle, with an intimidation factor as well. They would probably accept even a small amount, as they don't want the trouble of cops and insurance. And they know that most people would just pay 20 bucks or something just to move on with their night rather than stick around or call the police and have to stay up until 4 AM.

Best way to avoid this, and other potential dangers, is to stay with groups, stay where it's well lit, and use a lot with cameras. The paranoid answer would be with a dash-cam. If you have none of those things, and you have any fears at all, stay in your car and call the police.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

I am a bit surprised about where this happened, since security cameras would render most scams useless. But a scam could potential happen the way you describe.

Did you notice any damage on the other car? Because here's how it might go, had your friend not had you and other witnesses in the car with him. The other driver has a car with existing damage at the back, like a broken taillight or loose bumper. Then he nudges you, and comes to look at the damage. If you are alone, he says you hit him, and asks for money. He has his friends as "witnesses" and you have no proof.

@tom leafers is correct. It's not really an "insurance scam". More of a hustle, with an intimidation factor as well. They would probably accept even a small amount, as they don't want the trouble of cops and insurance. And they know that most people would just pay 20 bucks or something just to move on with their night rather than stick around or call the police and have to stay up until 4 AM.

Best way to avoid this, and other potential dangers, is to stay with groups, stay where it's well lit, and use a lot with cameras. The paranoid answer would be with a dash-cam. If you have none of those things, and you have any fears at all, stay in your car and call the police.

I share the sentiment of surprise as it was such a prominent lot.

Thanks for the advice man. I don't have a dashcam, perhaps I'll check Amazon. Any recommendations?

There was no damage on the other car, in fact it looked pretty new/nice. Those points are all solid. If I was alone my heart would probably be racing too fast to be thinking straight and taking off staying in the car to call the police is a smart call. Not going to take chances downtown Toronto if it's just me.

 

[phillipmike]

Always recommend a dash cam to everyone. It would save you in this event and many more.

 

[Bluelines]

Nope not a scam, who would be that deceptive.

 

[qqaz]

I share the sentiment of surprise as it was such a prominent lot.

Thanks for the advice man. I don't have a dashcam, perhaps I'll check Amazon. Any recommendations?

There was no damage on the other car, in fact it looked pretty new/nice. Those points are all solid. If I was alone my heart would probably be racing too fast to be thinking straight and taking off staying in the car to call the police is a smart call. Not going to take chances downtown Toronto if it's just me.

No problem! I hope it never comes in handy, if you understand me.

I agree with @phillipmike, a dash-cam can be a serious advantage in many different situations. I have a dash cam, myself, but I don't want anyone to be paranoid, either. Mine is just from amazon, the cheapest "walmart special" kind. I have never needed it.

And in a pinch, you could easily start recording with your phone once something happens. It wouldn't catch the "crash" in this event, but would deter any funny business after. And in a real fender bender might catch the guilty party admitting they were wrong, and act as proof for things like car position and immediate damage.

Also, regarding your OP, there is no such thing as a "wimp." Everyone reacts to a situation differently, and even the same person might not react the same twice. Being aggressive may be the wrong answer, and/or timid people can become aggressive to their own surprise. Fight, flight, or freeze. None are right for every situation, you often don't get to pick, and no one should feel guilty about which one happens.

 

[qqaz]

Nope not a scam, who would be that deceptive.

Haha. I have seen some of these before, as well as some incredible "near miss" Russian dash-cam footage. Essentially, if you don't have dash-cam evidence in Russia, you are at fault in an accident. Insurance won't pay out without proof from a dash-cam, and scams abound catching anyone without one.

 

[Mr Hockey]

Sounds like he may have wanted to shake you down for a quick $100-500 ?

 

[cannucky]

classic bump and run , never mind the cash payout , the pros just take your plate then ho yo the dr the next day ,a greasy dr and a couple witnesses equals a quick payout

 

[The Magic Man]

Sounds like a drunk. Not sure anyone with half brain would pull a scam in a highly secure spot like that. Too many cameras.

His odd behaviour was likely him trying to act cool.

 

[Muston Atthews]

You all sound quite paranoid

 

[qqaz]

You all sound quite paranoid

You're right. But the OP is describing real events, and even explicitly asked for safety tips. When I mentioned dash-cams, I even called it "the paranoid answer" and then later stated "I don't want to make anyone paranoid." It's not like I go around fear mongering.

I suppose when someone asked for suggestions about keeping themselves safe, we could have all answered with some toxic masculinity like "man up" and "walk it off". Would that have been more to your liking?

 

[Mr Hockey]

...

 

[Leafsfan74]

Any number of possibilities, none on the "up and up", some possibilities you might not be comfortable confronting.

So, as I brainstorm:

Possibly an insurance scam (unlikely since there are cameras). Possible robbery attempt by guys in a stolen car (again unlikely in a camera garage)? Was the guy sober? Based on the ages, people in their 30's usually aren't engaged in such petty crime as a group. Maybe if they were teenagers or in their early 20's.

Possibly an undercover police sting and you weren't the car they were trying to trap (or maybe you or someone in your car were).

Do you trust your friend who interacted with the guy in the car or is he a more recent hanger on?

How did you get the tickets for the game, who in your group suggested you attend this game?

Anybody in your group do something to delay the time you left so that you were in fact the last car in the lot?

Anything odd about your friends actions before, during or after the game, or the event that seemed "off"?

 

[Muston Atthews]

You're right. But the OP is describing real events, and even explicitly asked for safety tips. When I mentioned dash-cams, I even called it "the paranoid answer" and then later stated "I don't want to make anyone paranoid." It's not like I go around fear mongering.

I suppose when someone asked for suggestions about keeping themselves safe, we could have all answered with some toxic masculinity like "man up" and "walk it off". Would that have been more to your liking?

Lol “toxic masculinity”. The most likely answer would probably be that the guy wasn’t paying attention and thought he was the last car there so he didn’t even realize when he was backing up. The other guys standing around probably had nothing to do with anything.

If you want to feel safe, don’t leave your house. The world is a scary place. Maybe take some MMA classes and learn how to protect yourself or carry something on you that you can protect yourself with.

 

[Havoc]

If it's the exit gate then there's cameras right on it. I'm assuming this to be the case because of all the "car fail" videos I've seen on youtube that happen around these exits lol.

I think the guy really was just out of it.

There's literally zero chance for anyone there to get away with anything. Very unlikely they would waste their time with all that man power on a guaranteed failure. So many other places for them to go that can guarantee they make some money.

 

[Duke Silver]

If you ever think you're entrapped in a hustle like this and they ask for money, say you'd rather give the police a call so you can get everything documented, and watch how quickly they try to weasel their way out of the situation.

Just another reason to have a dash cam, too.

 

[Duke Silver]

Possibly an undercover police sting and you weren't the car they were trying to trap (or maybe you or someone in your car were).

Do you trust your friend who interacted with the guy in the car or is he a more recent hanger on?

How did you get the tickets for the game, who in your group suggested you attend this game?

Anybody in your group do something to delay the time you left so that you were in fact the last car in the lot?

Anything odd about your friends actions before, during or after the game, or the event that seemed "off"?

This is a bit much.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

This is a bit much.

Lol yes a little bit. My friend and I and our girlfriends are pretty wholesome. This game was actually a Christmas present and I had no idea until 4PM the day of. The day was pretty magical and these parking lot shenanigans through us for a loop. Was worried we were going to be extorted.

 

[Tweek]

Thanks for the advice man. I don't have a dashcam, perhaps I'll check Amazon. Any recommendations?

I have a Viofo A119S V2 which is pretty good, it can be had around $100, it has a GPS feed for speed/location which you can turn off but with my cars noise level I like the ability to prove that I wasn't speeding. You can also use it in parking mode where if it detects your car getting bumped it will turn on. Mine is hardwired into the car as well so the cabling is tucked up and invisible. The Blackvue DR-650 2 channel (one front camera, one rear) is great but it is over $500.

This is a sample video from my camera