Professional Actor Makes a Living Playing a Beggar for Handouts
For the last 12 years, Chinese professional actor Lu Jingang has been making a living by playing a poor beggar in a popular scenic spot and collecting money and food from kindhearted citizens. Seeing Lu Jingang on the job, you’d think he was nothing but a poor beggar looking to make ends meet, but that’s […]
‘World’s Richest Beggar’ Is Worth Over $1 Million
An Indian man who spends his days asking people for pocket change on the streets of Mumbai has been dubbed the ‘world’s richest beggar’ by Indian media who claims he is worth over $1 million. While many people in India toil long hours every single day for a few hundred rupees, Bharat Jain, the so-called […]
Begging 2.0 – Indonesian Beggars Get on TikTok Instead of Going Out on the Street
Begging is reportedly going digital in Indonesia, with street beggars posting clips on TikTok asking for virtual gifts instead of actually going out on the street. TikTok begging has reportedly become such a widespread phenomenon in Indonesia that the Government has been forced to step in to reign it in. The Asian country’s social minister […]
The Silver Men – Indonesia’s Silver-Painted Beggars
Manusia Silver, or “Silver Men” is a special type of beggar that has become a common sight on the streets of several Indonesian cities. Beggars have been around for as long as anyone can remember, and Indonesia is no exception, but the South-East Asian country has recently seen the rise of a new type of […]
79-Year-Old Beggar in China Ousted as Wealthy Grandma Who Just Enjoys Begging
A 79-year-old who spent most of her time begging at a train station in Hangzhou, China, was recently ousted as a relatively rich pensioner who lives in a 5-storey villa and owns several retail stores and rental properties in the city. The woman’s story made national news headlines last week, after staff at Hangzhou’s East Railway […]
No Loose Change? Chinese Beggars Are Now Accepting Mobile Payments
If you still have any doubts that mobile devices have taken over our lives, this should make you a firm believer: smartphones and QR codes have become tools of the trade for Chinese beggars. If you’re feeling generous, you can simply whip out your phone, scan a a printed QR code and transfer some money […]
Amsterdam Introduces Contactless Payment Jackets for Beggars
It’s getting and harder and harder for beggars to survive on spare change handouts these days. People have become too reliant on alternative payment options to carry cash around with them, and those that still have a few coins in their pockets are often afraid that recipients will just spend it on alcohol, drugs or […]
Young Indian Beggar Has Several Bank Accounts, Gives Loans to Local Traders
He may not look it, but this young Indian beggar is actually richer than most of the nation’s middle class. Pappu Kumar has managed to make a small fortune during eight years of begging on the streets of Patna, in the state of Bihar. He reportedly has 500,000 rupees ($7,500) stashed away in four bank accounts, […]
UK Beggar Sparks Outrage after Getting into $70,000 Audi at the End of His ‘Shift’
Matthew Brinton, a beggar in England’s Cornwall county, has earned the wrath of locals after he was spotted getting into an Audi TT in a parking lot near Bank Street. Brinton is a familiar face in the area, having begged there for several years. Footage of him getting into the $70,000 luxury car was uploaded […]
Chinese Teen Dresses Up as Cow Every Day and Asks People to Ride Her to Raise Money for Sick Father
Desperate to raise funds for her ailing father’s treatment, a teenager in China’s Anhui province has taken to wearing a cow mask and charging people 5 yuan to ride her. She’s been at it for the past three months, but Hefei locals have branded her a fraud. Now, news reports are featuring photographs of 15-year-old […]
Professional Beggar Takes Credit Card Donations, Makes a Killing
Damien Preston-Booth is probably the smartest, most resourceful beggar in the world. Every week, the 37-year-old from Lancashire travels all the way to London’s Mayfair to accept donations from wealthy tourists – via credit card! He actually carries around a card reader to make sure he doesn’t miss out on contributions from rich people who […]
Soulless Chinese Beggars Stoop to Mutilating Camels to Gain Sympathy and Improve Earnings
Beggars in China are stooping to new lows in order to gain sympathy (and money) from impressionable passers-by. Horrific pictures show deliberately mutilated camels that are being used to beg for donations. Apparently, the trick has worked wonders so far – the beggars’ collections have increased because people are quite sympathetic and end up donating […]
Chinese Festival Organizers Create Human Zoo for Beggars
Beggars at a religious festival in Nanchang, southern China, have been ordered to either stay in specially-built metal cages or risk being removed from the city, in an attempt to stop them from harassing visitors. Living in a country where begging is a very lucrative business, I know what it’s like to constantly be disturbed by […]
The Clinging Beggars of China
To make sure they squeeze some money out of them, young Chinese beggars have begun clinging to the legs of their victims. Picture this: you’re walking down the street, minding your own business when this helpless little beggar girl comes up to you and asks you to buy a flower. You say something like “no […]