The Melon Drop Scam

What would you do if you unintentionally bumped with a stranger while crossing a busy street, causing them to drop their prized melons? Would you apologize? Perhaps you could pay them a few dollars for their melon? Then this scam isn't for you because it can defraud victims of $60 or more per. That is, melon pop.

You're going to see a lot of tourists from countries like Japan in a busy metropolis like New York. Additionally, a watermelon can cost far more in Japan than in New York. Scammers are aware of this and will purposefully get in the way, get bumped, and drop the fruit when they spot some Japanese tourists. Scammers may receive up to ten times the value of the melon from the extremely repentant and contrite visitor who offers to pay for it. Feel free to call them out on it if you ever find yourself in a position similar to that, or make a police call.