Is the Girl Asking for Money at the Lindale, TX Walmart Connected to a Scam?

To be clear, the entire question was raised out of concern for the young girl's wellbeing.

In a time when human trafficking has been on the rise, it is no wonder more and more East Texans are more aware and WARY of red flags in this regard.

And if it isn't connected to human trafficking, what else could it be? Is this some kind of a scam? Let's chat about the details and then you can decide what you think.

Recently a man posted in an online social media Facebook group regarding a young girl at the Walmart in Lindale, Texas who had approached him asking for money so she could buy groceries for her three brothers. He went and purchased a Walmart gift card for her and brought it to her. As soon as she received it, she ran out of the front door very quickly.

Other Lindale, Texas residents shared they'd had a similar experience.

Subsequent comments on this man's post reveal that others allegedly encountered a similar situation--there were at least three at the time we last checked. Of course, we can't confirm it was the same young girl. The original poster said she was wearing a "pinkish shirt" and had a fanny pack. He also shared she had long dark hair. However, the situations were surprisingly similar.

For example, one commenter shared they'd been approached by a young girl at the Lindale Walmart, however she'd been asking for gas money. Another person said they'd been approached by a young girl asking for grocery money, but at a Walmart in Tyler.

It can be difficult for some of us to navigate these situations. Obviously, most of us want to help those in need as we can--especially if this young girl is involved in something more dangerous, such as a trafficking situation. At the same time, none of us want to be scammed.

Have you experienced a similar scenario? Perhaps with a girl matching the same description?