Knowingly scammed..

So yesterday I was out in the city...

This guy came up to me and my friend, and said that he's really stuck and if we could help him.  His car's out of petrol and he really needs to get to this place about 70km away by tonight.  His wife's in the car and he's pregnant so he can't just leave her there. He's out of money, and somehow his bank card's not working.  He needs to buy the container that stores petrol, which is about $20, and another $30 for petrol.

Said he's not a druggie, and showed me his driver's license.  Had a Myki card in there too.  Asked if we could help.

Sounded really dodgy....always dodgy when someone starts saying their wife/gf is pregnant....seems like a standard scam line nowadays....

Yet...I dunno why... but I thought I'd help.  I was gonna pull out $20...but for some random reason I decided to give $40.  When I gave it away I accepted in my mind that I wasn't going to get it back.

He got my number and said that tomorrow he'll call me for my bank details and he'll bank transfer it back.

So yeah... then I walked off.  Part of me knew I was getting scammed...but then part of me wonder if we shouldn't try to have a bit more faith, rather than in this cynical reality.

I accepted that I was probably being scammed...and yet i still gave it over.  Thinking back I should have only given $20..but somehow in that moment I gave $40...

I figured...and wondered.... if I get scammed 10x, but one time it was actually true and I did help someone in need....then would it be worth it?  In that scene I viewed my giving of my money as giving to God...rather than to them.  Would God be pleased with my action....my naive-ness/innocence? 

Anyway...and of course I got no call today.  And it's a funny feeling.  Cuz I don't really feel that bad...but then I wonder if I should be feeling bad and jibbed....

So it comes back to 2 questions:

1. Is it worth it to risk being jibbed/scam for the small chance that it's actually true and you're actually helping someone?

2. How can we be a good Samaritan in this world of dodgy-ness?

I can only imagine that people would be even more dodgy in Jesus' time... when people scam/jib/rip off other people because life is so much more desperate.... life so much harder... less moral structure and more survival of the fittest......

Interesting thoughts.....