Scam discovered after Chongqing ‘beggars’ reveal taste for luxury watches, phones
Four “beggars” were hauled in by Chinese police after they were found living a secret life of frequent airplane trips, splurging on luxurious wristwatches and owning the latest smartphones.
The men – who pretended they were impoverished migrant workers in desperate need of money to go home to their families – had sought the charity of passersby in the crowded streets of metropolitan Chongqing.
However, a local citizen became suspicious of the group and asked police in the southwestern Chinese city to investigate, according to the Chongqing Evening News on Saturday.
After bringing them to the precinct and conducting a search, police found each of the supposedly destitute beggars wearing expensive watches. Three of them had Apple iPhones, including one iPhone 6 Plus, which costs at least 6,088 yuan (HK$7,670) in the mainland.
Police deemed them professional beggars, a term for those who panhandle regularly but are not lacking in basic needs or not in need of social welfare.
