Monks Begging Aggressively: Buddhist Leaders Warn About ‘Fake Monks’ Who Are Extorting Money From Tourists


Buddhist leaders are cautioning visitors about “fake monks” extorting money from tourists in New York City and other major cities. These men in orange robes are aggressively begging on the streets of popular cities and persistently extorting money for temples that do not exist.

Simply because a person wears an orange robe and looks like a monk, doesn’t mean he is one. New York City Buddhist leaders have begun reissuing warnings to tourists who flock to popular destinations about men who appear to be monks, but are essentially con men in disguise. These panhandlers are merely interested in extorting money and not spreading the word about universal love, tolerance, and peace.

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The leaders of the peaceful community are warning tourists to be wary of men in orange robes who run a pretty well-established act. The spiritual leaders say panhandlers have now taken to dressing as Buddhist monks as a means to con tourists out of money, reported ABC News.

How do these con men operate? In the past, the impersonators wore the orange robes, but these men seem to have gone a step further and to make the con look convincing, sport a completely shaven head. They reportedly hand passersby golden medallions or similar other trinkets, before wishing them well, reported the Wall Street Journal. After offering peaceful tidings and ensuring they have engaged the tourist, the con men start asking for donations. While the reasons for asking for money can vary, the most common reason appears to be a temple under construction in Thailand, reported The Washington Post.

These so-called monks begin very politely, but their tactics get increasingly aggressive. They start getting pretty persistent and even harangue the tourists for money. If their demands are consistently refused, these con men can even become domineering and snatch away whatever they had so politely handed the tourists at the beginning of the conversation. Needless to say, a monk can never resort to such rudeness, says Rev. TK Nakagaki, President of the Buddhist Council of New York, a group that represents nearly two dozen Buddhist temples.

“The problem seems to be increasing. They are very aggressive and hostile if you don’t give them money.”

The problem has become so acute in High Line Park that a Buddhist group called Friends of the High Line put up a statement, replete with images, asking visitors and tourists to report such “aggressive panhandling.” According to WCBS, the network managed to locate about 11 such fake monks attempting to aggressively extort donations.

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Interestingly, the donations these monks seek aren’t small either. Depending on the person, a con man can ask anywhere between a few bucks to fifty dollars.

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A Buddhist monk is perceived as a very peaceful and friendly individual. They usually take a vow of peace and compassion. Their primary way of life involves being kind to every living soul. Such traits and presumptions about the monks are exploited by the fake monks with shaved heads and orange robes, says Michelle Dunson, also from the Buddhist Council of New York.

“They’re not authentic. They’re not real. They’re playing on people’s heart strings. It’s basically a scam like any other.”

When several Associated Press reporters attempted to get more information about the fake monks and the cause for which they were asking for donations, none of those interviewed gave any details and reportedly “ran off when pressed for answers.”

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While New York may have an acute problem of fake monks, the unholy con artists have been reported to authorities in many other American cities, including San Francisco. Even Canadian authorities have started to experience such aggressive panhandlers.

The problem of fake monks became so huge in China that, in 2014, local authorities began issuing certificates of authenticity to the nation’s 33,000 Buddhist temples and more than 9,000 Taoist temples, reported Xinhua News Agency.

[Photo by Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images]

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