Post Falls man upset by scam

COEUR d'ALENE - Jack Clay didn't mind when the two teenage girls approached him in a store parking lot recently, said their car was out of gas and asked for money.

But when the Post Falls man saw them a short time later, in another parking lot a mile or so away, asking more people for gas money, he knew something wasn't right.

Clearly, they had gas because they were still driving around town. It was yet anther scam, he said.

"These kids thought it was funny and cute," he said. "They thought it was a joke."

Clay said the second time he saw them, he asked the girls what they were doing. They became "belligerent," got in their car and drove away with some friends.

"If they needed help, they wouldn't get angry," he said

What upset Clay was that he saw one man give them $5. He believes with charities facing more demand for help this winter, such actions as those by the girls are taking resources from organizations that rely on donations to help the needy.

"How many others are doing something like this?" he asked. "We don't need people who are scam artists."

Clay said he just wants people to be aware of who they are giving money to, and that their donations are going to a worthy cause that will benefit the needy - not someone trying to cheat them out of a few bucks.

"With the holidays coming up, we've got a lot of people who are going to need help," he said. "What we don't need are more scam artists."