Do you respond to the "beggars" on the internet?
By lacieice
@lacieice (2060)
United States
July 25, 2010 9:59am CST
You know the ones I mean..."My house burned down and I lost everything, so I need you to send me money...", or "My friend doesn't have any money to get her kids school clothes, so...", or "I taking donations for the earthquate victims, so please...".
I know that a lot of people are having hard times...so am I, but I don't think I would ever beg on the internet, and I don't respond and give money to those who do.
The reason is simple. How do we know what is true? I wouldn't be afraid to bet that 99% of these are fake and lies. There's just no way to see if it is true or not, or if the money will end up where it's supposed to go.
How about you? Do you give money to these people? Do you think it's the right thing to do when times get tough?
5 people like this
20 responses
@jugsjugs (12967)
•
25 Jul 10
I would never give money to any fund over the internet as you never know if it is a proper charity aswell as it could be for their own personal gain.I think that there are alot of people out there that give money to people over the internet that they are not sure if they are a charity.I tend to only give money at more door to registered charity people.
1 person likes this
@ram_cv (16513)
• India
25 Jul 10
I do not think these are beggars. I just think these are hoaxes that people start because with emails you can be anonymous. Most of the times there is no incident and it is just a way to create a chain mail or to dupe some people of their money.
Either way I usually mark them as spam and delete them. I do not think they are worth any more effort and time from our side!!
Cheers!
Ram
@lacieice (2060)
• United States
25 Jul 10
You musunderstand...I use the term beggers loosely, to refer to people who beg for money on the net...people just like you and me who think they see a way to get some easy money. Maybe I should have just called them scammers, or liers, of theives.
1 person likes this
@Bebs08 (10681)
• United States
27 Jul 10
Really? there are people who asked money using the internet? I did not experience that. But if ever I receive some solicitation vis internet from people I do not know, I will not give. Who knows they are telling the truth? Except if maybe a member of my family will ask some help I would give them.
@ada8may21 (2405)
• Philippines
25 Jul 10
I would not certainly do that, I would not even give money to the beggars on the street how much those beggars from the internet. I would not fool myself with that kind of gimmicks by other souls who do nothing but to fool their other people.
@ada8may21 (2405)
• Philippines
25 Jul 10
Yeahhh and scammers dont have place here. I just hope that they wont fool anyone. Good luck to them
@ReViewMeMedia (3785)
• United States
30 Jul 10
Those types of messages usually = a phishing scam or something along those lines. Just because they say they need help doesn't mean they REALLY need your help. What they want is your money. I do not ever reply to those kinds of emails. If I want to help someone I would go out and donate to a charity in my local area or send a donation to a legitimate charity website. Begging on the Internet is not a good thing for someone to do.
@wintersonata (46)
• Indonesia
13 Aug 10
there is one question in my mind when I read that.
how come they still have the time (and money) to get connected to the internet?
even if they've got "free" internet access, then if they have access to the internet, they have access to anybody around there (the offline location) to help them, or at least to recommend them about where to get help.
wasn't anybody there around their "internet connection" location at that time, that they could ask for help?
not to mention, if they have time to "waste" by begging on the internet, then it means they actually have time to seek for help offline.
so I never pay attention to such pages. I believe they are fake and lies.
I wonder if anybody ever respond to such people? I'm not sure.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
27 Jul 10
I am a member of a forum where there was a discussion about a girl who had lost all of her money. She wrote that one of her friends had come over for a visit, and while she was taking a shower her friend had taken the all of her money and left. She wrote that she had cash for the entire month in her her apartment and now all of it was gone. She asked for donations so that she could buy some food. Many of the other members responded to her discussion and they asked her many questions. Little by little her story fell apart, and it turned out that she had made up the entire thing.
Personally I haven't given money to online beggars, because it is hard to tell who is honest and who has just made up the story like that girl on the forum.
@CTHanum (8234)
• Malaysia
26 Jul 10
my answer is definitely no, no and no.like what you said its all lies.no point to trust such things.even if they really in a bad situation they should not beg money through online as who is gonna give them the money.i would rather help and give my money to the charity instead of to these whoever online beggars.
@christiana81 (717)
• Romania
26 Jul 10
I dont respond them...i dont know...maybe they pretend.... i dont trust them!
@keshia2007r (2880)
• United States
26 Jul 10
Hi
&
no, I never responded to anybody like that.
Its really annoying to hear people say "my house burned down and I lost everything" If thats the case why are you on the interent. shouldnt you be looking for a job. I mean really? I beileve half of the time its a scam.
I have a story like this. Ok, my cousins were on their way out of town. There was a man on the side of the road asking for money. bascially saying he was hungry or what not. so my silly cousin gave the man all the money she had on her. (btw she was maybe 15-16 years old at the time) but moments later, that same man took her money and got into his car and left!! what poor man has a car? Maybe he needed gas money. idk. but no. i dont respond to them on the internet,
@cursoralbert99 (412)
• Malaysia
26 Jul 10
Depends on how they are approaching me. But should an association doing the necessary action to ask from the public for assistance?
Anyway, I normally don't give money or anything to beggars, online and in real life. For me a proper organizations, endorse legally by the government, then I will consider to give donation to them.
@skydeng (6)
• China
26 Jul 10
I am quite agree with you.what you said is similar in china.i also don't give the money to the beggars.most important we also ordinary people.evne if it is a real beggar, i think i will not give him money.Perhaps i will give him something to eat.
In fact some beggars are rich.Because they are professional Beggars.when they get off the beggars's ugly and dirty close,and put on their famous brand clothes No one konws they are beggars.so the salavation is belong to the government.
@macdingolinger (10386)
• United States
26 Jul 10
I don't usually respond to such. I have met a lot of people from around the world that have "ministries" as well. They are so quick to ask for support when they hear I am from the US. They don't know that I don't have a "real" job either. I stay at home and take care of my son who was injured in a car accident!
Maybe next time I'll ask them for money instead! (..no 
I just can't do that!)
Maybe next time I'll ask them for money instead! (..no I just can't do that!)
@Laurelle11 (409)
• Australia
26 Jul 10
I don't think I would give them money but I would feel sorry for them that they felt they needed to do that in the first place. I get angry at the ones that say you won money and then tell you you have to pay them money to get your cheque. Why not just get a legitimate job and be honest.
@AutumnGold (1056)
•
25 Jul 10
Hello Lacieice. I won't give money to beggars online the same as I won't give money to beggars in the street. I give to charity if I think it's a good cause but no way will I part with my money to someone who is probably just scamming people.
@aaronfyzeon (1920)
• Philippines
26 Jul 10
The usual thing these beggars dwell is the chat or some popular social sites. once they have befriended you and you have talked to them in a long period of time. they would now feel comfortable in asking money from you.
i just respond to them in a very empathic manner and LET THEM HOPE AND EXPECT that i am giving them out money. UNTIL THEY ARE PISSED OFF at me waiting for me to send them the amount i have PROMISED! in that way, i have already get back on them!
