Atlanta Woman says Walmart shopper approached her, asking for help. Then she realizes she was duped: ‘I knew’

A woman has a PSA for Walmart shoppers in Marietta, Georgia, at the Cobb Parkway location. Avoid donating any money to a heavy-set man who makes claims that he needs to pay his grandmother’s grocery bill. Otherwise, he will scam you. 

Kristen (@kristenbango) is a TikTok content creator who primarily makes home and food content. In a video with over 249,000 views, she explained how a man who doesn’t actually need the supplemental income tricked her into giving him $30. 

As Kristen says, “ I got scammed. I got scammed. I did it out of the kindness in my heart.” 

Since posting her video on Dec. 29, commenters have supposedly managed to identify the alleged scammer, sharing spots where the man frequently asks for money. 

What Did the Scammer Ask Kristen to Do?

Kristen says she was having a normal day shopping at a Walmart located in Marietta, Georgia, when a man suddenly approached her and asked for money. At first, she didn’t know what to do, but she decided to hear his story. 

He told her that he and his grandmother had not eaten since the day prior, and he was short of money for a $48 food purchase at Walmart. Feeling pressured, Kristen decided to give him the money. 

In the midst of that transaction, Kristen realized that something was completely off. Despite this, she felt uncomfortable and alone, so she decided to donate the money to the man anyway. 

Afterward, she went to TikTok to discuss her encounter, as after asking friends and family, she realized the entire situation was a fluke. 

Who Is This Mystery ‘Scammer’ and How Does Kristen Know His Story Is Fake?

Kristen later confirmed that the entire situation was a scam through her sister. Her sister gave money to the exact same man, only to find out that he regularly goes to various grocery stores, such as Kroger and Publix, doing the same thing. 

According to many commenters, the man frequently visits stores and regularly asks for money. He tells them possibly fabricated stories about his life and then requests money through apps such as Cash App. 

Kristen considers the man’s actions a “scam,” as he does not seem to actually need the money. He also pressured Kristen, based on her account, with a strongly worded “sob story,” which made her open her wallet despite feeling uncomfortable doing so. 

Other evidence from commenters seemingly supports that this person outside of the Walmart in Marietta, Georgia, consistently cons residents in the general Atlanta area. Commenters were able to identify them and cross-collaborated to confirm that the man frequents multiple areas with similar stories about not affording groceries, although it’s unconfirmed whether all of the information he gives those he speaks to is false. 

One commenter shared, “I have been scammed by the SAME man, and he tried to scam me TWICE. One time at Walmart and one time at Kroger.” 

Another added, “I moved to [Georgia] two years ago. Y’all, … he’s been doing this since I moved here. He would be at a lot of the Krogers in Smyrna too. And Marietta. He gotta make bank [because] he got me when I FIRST moved here in 2023, but then I saw him again and was like ‘oh [expletive] no.’” 

Because the man apparently has scammed so many people, commenters were able to quickly identify a Facebook account supposedly belonging to him. Viewers allege that this man, who goes by “Deshannon Da Real” on Facebook, frequently tricks people into believing that he is in desperate need of money. 

Kristen confirmed in her comments section that Deshannon was the person who asked her for money outside of the Walmart.

There are multiple Facebook posts where Deshannon shares food content, which may be why many who have donated to him feel scammed. On the same day that he allegedly asked Kristen for funds, he posted about a recent trip to a Hibachi Express in Smyrna, Georgia. 

It is worth noting that all of this information is alleged. However, multiple commenters seemingly identify “Shannon,” including Kirsten herself. Despite that, Kirsten and others did “willingly” give their money away. Additionally, it has not been completely confirmed that Deshannon is the person who asked Kristen for money. 

AllHipHop reached out to Kristen via TikTok direct message, and she declined to comment. We reached out to Walmart via email and Deshannon Da Real via Facebook message for comment. We’ll let you know if either party responds.

@kristenbango I looked like an easy target clearly #fyp #atlanta #walmart ♬ original sound – Kristen

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