This Panhandler Was a Member of a Secret Crime Ring and No One Had a Clue

Melissa Smith from San Diego, California, wasn’t sure what was happening, but she knew something was off when a panhandler started lurking around her neighborhood. One day, she decided to follow the begging woman.

But she never imagined that she would unravel a mystery that would send shivers down her spine.

Melissa Spotted a Pregnant Beggar

Melissa Smith from San Diego, California, had seen the pregnant beggar asking for money several times at the Eastlake Plaza during the weekend. The woman often held a sign that read, “Please help.” And plenty of people did, but they had unknowingly been fooled.

She Felt Nothing but Sympathy

“I felt bad. There’s a pregnant lady with a little boy who is down on her luck,” Smith told ABC 7’s sister station KGTV. But she had no idea that the woman wasn’t really what she appeared to be.

Panhandlers Have Different Begging Styles

Some panhandlers will just sit passively by a main road while holding a sign, hoping that someone will give them money. Others might take a more active stance and approach a vehicle or an individual to beg for money. But some of them barely make enough money to pay for one meal a day.

Panhandlers Don’t Make a Lot

Statistically speaking, most panhandlers only collect about $25 on a daily basis. About 94 percent of that money is used on food, but there are some folks who might find other not-so-noble uses for their cash.