Dubai police, on Sunday, arrested an ‘online beggar’ who had tricked several people on social media platforms to rack up $50,000 in just two weeks.
The woman targeted wealthy people online and told them that she was a victim of a failed marriage and had no money to feed her children who are forced to beg on the streets.
She even posted pictures of her children on various platforms, including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, telling people that they were forced to beg to feed themselves.
According to Director of Criminal Investigation Department of the Dubai Police, Brigadier Jamal Al Salem Al Jallaf, she also set up special bank accounts to accumulate the money and collected a whopping $50,000 in just 17 days.
Salem Al Jallaf said that the scam came into light only when a few of her acquaintances called and checked with her husband.
The director said,
She told people that she was divorced and supporting her children on her own. But her former husband reported her through (the) e-Crime platform and proved the children were living with him. Upon realizing that her former wife had been using his children’s photographs to beg people online, he reported it to the police.
Brigadier Al Jallaf urged people not to fall prey to people begging on streets or online as they often turn out to be scammers.
Begging via online channels is a crime that is being dealt with through the e-Crime platform. People seek help by pretending to have a disease or disability, or by showcasing apparent poverty to exploit people’s generosity.
Via: The News
