According to Philippine authorities warn of syndicate crime behind children beggar using QR code | The Star, a government agency issued a warning about the danger of organized crime employing street children to con people after a picture of a youngster beggin in the Philippine capital with a QR code went popular on social media.
The public was forewarned by the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) on Friday that a criminal organization may be responsible for the scam.
These actions are being carried out by syndicates. Reynaldo Tamayo, vice chair of the NAPC, said on local television that the syndicates transport these beggars in vans, place them on the streets, and then pick them up at night.
According to Tamayo, if found guilty, parents of children beggaring on the streets might be fined and sentenced to no more than two years in prison. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, 18.1% of the country's almost 110 million people live in poverty.
During the Christmas season, beggars in Manila's streets become quite noticeable and frequently knock on car windows for spare cash.
The government's social welfare agency keeps beggars off the streets by providing them with "basic needs" before sending them back to the province each year.
