Yeah, there’s that too. A decade or more ago, our local paper ran an expose on the scammers, but they kept it reasonably constructive, giving equal space to strategies for identifying those in actual need.

For my teens, I kept it simple

• someone actively soliciting you in a high traffic area is likely a scammer
• someone sitting quietly, trying to “shrink” away from attention, whether they have their hand out or not, is more likely in need