Beggars target people withdrawing money from ATM
Beggars in Deira streets have devised a new trick to con people. They now prey upon unsuspecting people, especially those who’ve just drawn money from an ATM, by narrating ‘tragic’ tales.
The trend is rampant even when the authorities are cracking down on the menace all over the country. In the recent months, Dubai Police has rounded up hundreds of beggars.
“No one can make out that they are beggars. They dress smartly and when approaching a ‘potential prey’ pretend as if they are former colleagues or acquaintances,” said one victim. Mogesh Salim, an Ethiopian national, claims to have fallen victim to this trickery not once, but twice.
Narrating one of the encounters, Salim says it happened one evening when he had just withdrawn money from the ATM at ADCB on Naif Road. A woman in a ‘hijab’ approached him.
“At first, I thought she wanted to inquire about something. I had seen her waiting near the ATM. I never could imagine that she was a beggar,” said Salim. “She claimed her husband died a month ago and was unable to look after the children without help from Muslim brothers.”
He said, “It is very had to ignore such a person, especially if she is projecting an Islamic image and telling a tragic tale.” He, nevertheless, did give her some cash only to be told by some people in the area that he had been taken for a ride by the woman.
Haleem Mahdi, a Yemen businessman, had a different story to tell. He narrated how an old man conned him into believing that he had a chronic disease and was in dire need of money to buy some medicines. This incident, too, happened after Mahdi had drawn cash from an ATM at Baniyas Road in Deira.
“The man approached me when I was still counting the money I had withdrawn. I was shocked to see him in front of me, something I did not expect at that time. I had not noticed him standing in the vicinity when I entered the booth,” says Salim.
Salim said he gave the man some money out of fear because he was caught offguard.
When he told his friends about the incident, Salim discovered that some of his friends, too, had fallen victim to a similar ploy.
“Some of the ATMs don’t have security guards and if such incidents continue, they could pose a security risk,” says a worried Salim. Source
The trend is rampant even when the authorities are cracking down on the menace all over the country. In the recent months, Dubai Police has rounded up hundreds of beggars.
“No one can make out that they are beggars. They dress smartly and when approaching a ‘potential prey’ pretend as if they are former colleagues or acquaintances,” said one victim. Mogesh Salim, an Ethiopian national, claims to have fallen victim to this trickery not once, but twice.
Narrating one of the encounters, Salim says it happened one evening when he had just withdrawn money from the ATM at ADCB on Naif Road. A woman in a ‘hijab’ approached him.
“At first, I thought she wanted to inquire about something. I had seen her waiting near the ATM. I never could imagine that she was a beggar,” said Salim. “She claimed her husband died a month ago and was unable to look after the children without help from Muslim brothers.”
He said, “It is very had to ignore such a person, especially if she is projecting an Islamic image and telling a tragic tale.” He, nevertheless, did give her some cash only to be told by some people in the area that he had been taken for a ride by the woman.
Haleem Mahdi, a Yemen businessman, had a different story to tell. He narrated how an old man conned him into believing that he had a chronic disease and was in dire need of money to buy some medicines. This incident, too, happened after Mahdi had drawn cash from an ATM at Baniyas Road in Deira.
“The man approached me when I was still counting the money I had withdrawn. I was shocked to see him in front of me, something I did not expect at that time. I had not noticed him standing in the vicinity when I entered the booth,” says Salim.
Salim said he gave the man some money out of fear because he was caught offguard.
When he told his friends about the incident, Salim discovered that some of his friends, too, had fallen victim to a similar ploy.
“Some of the ATMs don’t have security guards and if such incidents continue, they could pose a security risk,” says a worried Salim. Source
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