×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Professional beggars in China fly with iPhones pricey watches

Last Updated 07 December 2014, 14:42 IST

Fake beggars in China were having a gala time with some of them flying around city to city with pricey watches and latest iPhones only to beg around in ragged clothes, a tragic story and a begging bowl.

Four "professional beggars" were caught in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for allegedly cheating money out of local people yesterday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Local police were informed that they were pretending to be penniless migrant workers, unable to return home.

An initial police probe found the four disguised themselves as beggars before going on a "cheating tour" around the country.

They usually claim to be migrant workers who had no money to return home, and the public fall for it, one of them confessed to police.

Last month, they flew to Chongqing to "collect money" to prepare for Spring Festival -- Chinese New Year -- which falls on February 19.

So far, each has raised some 800 yuan (USD 130). They all own pricey watches and iPhones.

According to the police, one of them has an iPhone 6 Plus.

People are growing doubtful of beggars in China, according to a recent survey, of more than 20,000 respondents, 82.3 per cent regard begging as cheating.

Stories of fake beggars in China abound and have frequently angered the public.

Last week, several beggars were pictured counting money in a Beijing subway station, with one of them taking selfies with an iPhone, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 07 December 2014, 14:42 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT