Here are examples of how the foot-in-the-door influence strategy is used by creative, self-serving scammers. The first one is based on Sue Frantz’s experiences in Paris a few years ago and can be found in longer form here.

“In the petition scam, the thief approaches a likely mark with a clipboard in hand and asks, “Do you speak English?” When the mark says, “Yes,” the thief asks something like, “Would you sign this petition to support people who are deaf and mute?” When the mark says they are indeed willing, the thief hands over the clipboard and a pen. After the mark signs, the thief asks for a donation to support the cause. The money “donated” does not go to a cause other than the thief’s own.”

Here is another version, also from Paris, this time experienced by one of the authors of the Examples compendium:

Arriving at the top of Montmartre, he was approached by two women who purported to be deaf and mute. One of them pushed a clipboard into his hands and pointed to a page of English text stating that they were collecting money to help deaf people. Being a generous sort, he handed over five Euros, at which point the other woman, looking annoyed, lifted the clipboard page to reveal a table that informed him that the “minimum” donation is 10 Euros. Embarrassed at having failed to see this foot-in-the-door scam coming, he took back the five Euro note as if to exchange it for a ten, then informed the women in rather obscene French idiom that he was on to their game. They must have miraculously recovered their hearing at that point because they reacted with shock and hurried off to find a new mark.