"Cyber begging": fake tragedies to earn easy money
Shafaq News / As social media became more popular in Iraq, a new type of fraud emerged as "Cyber begging".
It is accomplished through advertisements posted on websites or in online chat rooms. The anonymous owner of the post claims to be in financial difficulty or to have a sick family member, and while some of these claims are true, the majority are fraud attempts.
In terms of origin, this new method of begging is similar to the "classic begging" in the streets. However, in the case of Cyber begging, the identity of the advertisers (publishers), their age, and social and economic status remain unknown.
The beggar no longer needs to wait for long hours in the sun or the rain to earn money. In fact, All they need is a phone connected to the Internet and a fake story to tell.
A girl from Baghdad told Shafaq News Agency, "I met a girl in a chat room who was a university student looking for clothes to wear. After getting to know her well, I discovered she was in a difficult financial situation and was shy to ask her relatives for assistance. Hence, she used social media to ask for help without revealing her identity."
On the other hand, some use these methods to commit fraud, another girl from Maysan governorate said, "When a woman posted on Facebook that she was destitute, I commented that I would assist her after visiting her home to confirm her claims. After my visit, I was surprised to learn that, contrary to her claims, she lives in a nice house and has a decent financial situation."
"Cyber begging has lost credibility," activist Montazer al-Mayali, who lives in Karbala governorate, indicated, "When someone announces through social media that they want to help those in need, dozens of people compete to ask for money, and when asked for proof confirming their claim, they refuse and evade any question regarding proving their difficult situation."
"What is striking is that most of those accounts have feminine names, but they are actually males looking to exploit citizens," al-Mayali said.
According to social researcher Dr. Abdul Wahid Misha'al, those beggars use psychological theories to influence and gain sympathy, so citizens are victims of these methods.
"Many people have found that social media platforms might offer ways to earn easy money by exploiting the people's feelings, especially on religious occasions and holidays when people tend to get spiritual and abandon logic," Misha'al said.
He also stated that this type of begging is "an indirect blackmail of citizens. It is voluntary extortion obtained through deception. For example, they may ask for money in exchange for their promise to pray for the giver," emphasizing the importance of "launching an awareness campaign and activating laws that limit this phenomenon."
Lawyer and judicial expert Mohamed al-Yasiri told Shafaq News Agency, "A beggar is punished by imprisonment for at least one month and no more than three months under Article 390. That applies to anyone over 18 who has a legitimate source of income or can obtain one through work and is found begging on the street, in public places, or in a house or shop without permission to beg. Furthermore, if the beggar fakes injuries or disabilities or uses any form of deception to gain sympathy from the public, the penalty is imprisonment for no more than a year."
"If the perpetrators are under the age of 18, they will be subject to the juvenile provisions in the event of the crime."
The judicial expert said, "Under Article 392, anyone who has enticed a person under the age of 18 to beg faces a sentence of imprisonment for no more than three months and a fine of no more than 50 dinars, or one of these penalties. If the offender is a guardian or in charge of taking care of that person, the penalty is imprisonment for no more than six months and a fine of no more than 100 dinars, or one of these penalties."
