Con Artists

I just got wrapped up in an elaborate con attempt. I was in Starbucks, preparing to order my customary grande Mocha Light Frappuccino, and the guy in front of me in line (about 65, smallish, dressed like a middle-class grandpa, with some kind of Eastern European accent) was really chatting up the girl behind the counter. He was making all kinds of jokes and turning to me and trying to include me in his banter. I was sort of half-heartedly participating by saying things like, "Boy, you said it!" and "Yep! We all do!" and stuff like that. Then he suddenly asks me what I'm going to have. I realized he was trying to buy my drink. At first I assumed this attempt was genuine; he's a lonely old man trying to make friends. Just then, though, three women walk up behind us.

They were very nice looking women without actually being attractive, if that makes sense. All three were about 45 years old, 2 were Vietnamese, and 1 White. All three were wearing lots of makeup and jewelry and were dressed more or less like 45-year-old moms would dress. I think they were probably on their lunch break from work.

The old guy starts chatting them up, too. He's saying ridiculous things, like "Ladies, ladies... NO smiling." And they all kinda start faux giggling. One of them kinda mock-punches another one on the shoulder, and the guy jumps in. He goes, "No, no. Don't hit her! Hit me!" And then he grabs one of their hands and starts hitting himself with it. Then he kisses her hand. They all start laughing more. I think this was the most exciting thing that had happened to these ladies since the last time they watched Mamma Mia! Anyway, during this whole thing, the old guy is also "paying" for his stuff. He hands the cashier a credit card, but he also hands her a $5 bill. He keeps saying something about a tip and asking what I want (as if he was attempting to buy what I wanted for me). This goes on for about 2 minutes. Finally, the cashier says that the card has been denied, but the total of all the stuff the guy was trying to buy was about $18 (he had a bunch of little cookies and other things in packages, a sandwich, a mug, and some drink). At this point I started to get suspicious.

My drink, which I had ordered, by yelling to the barrista, "I'll have my usual" during the confusion, was now ready. The old man sort of tried to claim my drink as part of his stuff and was insisting that the cashier "force his credit card through," whatever that means. Another barrista-girl came and rang me up, and I finally had to put my arm on the guy's shoulder and say rather forcefully, "Thank you, but I'll pay for it." He then backed off and as I walked away and the three ladies were looking in the display case, he kinda walked outside, leaving the merch on the counter. Then, as I was sitting down, I saw him hop on his old bike and ride away.

I'm not sure if his angle was:
1) To get the girl to pocket the $5 and "override" his credit card rejection.
2) To get me to pay for his stuff
3) To get the women to buy his stuff
4) To get SB to give him more than $5 worth of stuff for $5.

Whatever it was, it didn't work.