One of the most prevalent frauds in major European cities almost claimed the life of an in-person Twitch streamer dubbed JayStreazy.
A woman on the street approached the travel streamer while carrying a clipboard and purportedly collecting signatures for a petition. She stopped the streamer and requested his signature, which he declined to provide, before inquiring if he spoke English. The way petition scams operate is by having people sign petitions before requesting that they “donate” to the cause that they are purportedly supporting. The con artist then keeps this cash. In JayStreazy’s case, he streamed the entire exchange but declined to join the petition. As a result, the would-be con artist left empty-handed rather than obtaining money from the streamer.
The scammer was primarily scared off by the Twitch streamer’s camera, aside from the fact that she couldn’t get her foot in the door with the signature. Before leaving the scene, she made an attempt to hide the camera lens with her hand. “Am I not allowed to film?”
JayStreazy, an IRL and travel Twitch broadcaster, has recently started livestreaming from Paris, France. This year’s TwitchCon, which was held over the weekend at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, is why he is in Paris. The convention took place when riots in the streets of Paris and other French cities were being covered by international media, prompting reservations about visiting the nation. This hasn’t stopped the streamer, who has shown how much more tranquil the city is than many people would assume from news coverage.
However, other aspects of Paris remain the same, as fraudsters still actively target tourists in an effort to make quick money. A petition fraud was one that JayStreazy almost fell into. Scams of this nature are prevalent in several major European towns. These con artists will ask passersby and tourists to sign petitions they are carrying that are phony and frequently claim to be for the benefit of the deaf. After receiving their signature, the con artist will request a donation, pocketing the cash instead of using it to further the cause they claim to be advocating. The Twitch streamer did not fall for the con because, as is typical of many of these frauds, he seemed to be suspicious when the petition claimed to be for deaf people. The con artist also didn’t appear to like getting caught on camera. The Twitch streamer’s VOD, fortunately, can act as a warning for other tourists.
