"Corona" .. a new trick to beg and defraud the benefactors

Citizens and residents monitored cases of begging on several roads in the state, in which their owners claimed that they had stopped their way to their country, after the movement of air had stopped, as they were begging passersby to obtain financial assistance, taking advantage of precautionary measures to limit the spread of the Corona virus to seize the funds of benefactors, and stopped them Beggars driving luxury vehicles claiming they need money to fill fuel, or to buy their food needs.

They warned that beggars and fraudsters devised new ways to defraud and get their money by exploiting the spread of Corona disease and stopping the movement of air traffic in most of the countries of the world, claiming that they were visiting the state and became stuck after their countries closed the airports, and demanded to help them with food money and pay the rent of housing.

Some of them monitored the occurrence of people of several nationalities, some of them dressed in Gulf clothes, who stopped shoppers inside the parking lots of a famous shopping center, and they claimed that they could not return during the current time because of the suspension of travel, and they requested assistance in amounts up to 1000 dirhams to pay the expenses of the hotel in which they reside, with confirmation However, this amount is a debt they will pay after returning to their country.

The «Emirates Today» received notes from readers about beggars knocking on the doors of apartments, and claiming that they are in financial trouble after losing their jobs as auxiliary workers in nurseries, schools, or restaurants, after suspending the activities of these establishments, and fabricating fake stories related to seeking help in treatment expenses Or take care of orphaned children.

While charitable societies in the state confirmed that they have the legal capacity to receive donations that are disbursed to the entities and people who are entitled to them, according to clear strategies, and said that they have many charitable initiatives that are all aimed at supporting the needy in all their different groups, especially in light of the circumstances the world is going through, and the procedures Precaution to stop the spread of the Corona virus.

For its part, the Ministry of Interior warned community members not to be deceived by beggars' fraudulent methods, whether when meeting them on public roads, or in social media, as they tend to attract the sympathy of citizens and residents, and with multiple images and forms predominantly lying and fraud; taking advantage of the goodness of the UAE community and the rush of people to work Goodness, however, this phenomenon is reflected in its negative effects on security aspects and on society.

The Director of the Law Respect Culture Office at the Ministry of Interior, Brigadier Dr. Abdullah Al-Shamsi, told «Emirates Today» that the Ministry of Interior is continuing its efforts to eliminate this phenomenon, whether by educating members of the public not to get involved in beggars ’allegations and help them, or by tightening control procedures . He cautioned that beggars are taking advantage of any available opportunity to take advantage of people's sympathy and seize their money by telling fake stories and stories to inflict their victims, including claiming that they were cut off by the way of stopping air traffic in the current period, warning against believing these false allegations and paying any sums of money to the beggars.

He pointed out that the Federal Law No. 9 of 2018 in the matter of combating begging increased the penalties for the perpetrators of the begging crime, as it stipulated that “he shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months and a fine of no less than 5000 thousand dirhams for anyone who commits the crime of begging.”

He urged community members to cooperate in reporting beggars by phone to police operating rooms on the emergency phone 999, and a safety service. Citizens and residents, Mohamed Adel, Hamad Al Balushi, Hazem Nasr, and Maha Otaiba pointed to the spread of people of Asian nationalities in the population areas and the positions of cooperative societies and hypermarkets, who stop passers-by and claim that they have lost their jobs and have been laid off because of Corona and ask for help, noting that they are making Weakness and that they can not return to their countries, and in urgent need of living expenses.

One of the complainants, Muhammad Saeed, said: “A person stopped me and spoke to me in a mixed language between Urdu, Arabic and English, and he claimed that he lost his job after the company ended the services of the workers because of the work stoppage, and he asked for 100 dirhams.” He stopped him three months ago and asked for help on a different argument.

For his part, Legal Adviser Mansour Al-Mazmi explained that with the onset of the Corona virus, practices began to appear on the part of people by begging on public streets or through social media, but differently from the usual begging methods, as the perpetrators relied on the influence of Corona Communities in all countries of the world, as a means of sympathy and robbery by fraudulent methods, stressing that the begging law applies to begging in all its forms, whether traditional or electronic.

He stressed the importance of combating these crimes by educating community members not to be affected by these emotional messages and drifting behind them, especially with the presence of competent authorities in the state concerned with the needy, so we, as community members, must cooperate with the competent authorities to report beggars. He said: “The state issued Federal Law No. 9 of 2018 in the matter of combating begging with the aim of preserving the civilizational image of the Emirati society and protecting it from crimes related to begging, and to combat and prevent this type of crime. Article 5 of the same law stipulated that (he shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not More than three months and a fine of no less than 5,000 dirhams, whoever commits the crime of begging). Al-Mazmi added: “Article 5 in its second paragraph considered the commission of the crime of begging by using deception and deceit as an aggravating circumstance, as it stipulated that it (and considered an aggravating circumstance if the beggar had fabricated the injury of permanent disabilities and pretended to perform the service of others or used any other means of deception And deceit, with the intent of influencing others to seek sympathy). For his part, the legal advisor, Salem Saeed Al-Hayqi, warned that the Corona pandemic resulted in introducing the phenomenon of Ramadan begging, as these perpetrators were active exploiting the current circumstance, and they did not wait for people in light of their commitment to stay in their homes and beggars knocked on the doors of houses asking their owners to help them in light of This circumstance, and their sympathy by praying for them to escape from Corona, pointing out that often other crimes occur related to the crime of begging, so the Emirati legislator sought to enact and issue a law against begging to preserve the cultural image of society, and protect it from crimes related to begging through struggled through Behold and prevent them. He stressed the need to beware of the appearance of some beggars in clothes that might be assumed to be citizens of the state or one of the Gulf states, and to claim that due to these current circumstances, the funds are out of stock and he cannot manage his affairs, and that he needs a sum of money, pointing out that this case can be adapted legally As a fraud crime, because the beggar is using fraudulent methods that would deceive the victim and drive him to deliver money to him, and this crime is punishable according to the Federal Penal Code.

Dummy donation campaigns on «Communication Sites»

"Emirates Today" has monitored the spread of a large number of financial fundraising campaigns on social forums and social media platforms, for the purpose of requesting donations, claiming to help patients and needy people from outside the country who were affected by the Corona virus, or buying medical supplies, respirators, and sterilization materials for poor areas In Arab and Islamic countries, while campaigns share a lack of knowledge of who is responsible for them.

Citizens and residents confirmed that they received messages via social media and their e-mail from people, associations and initiatives outside the state, urging them to donate to help to buy living necessities for people who lost their livelihoods, in addition to requests for assistance in charitable campaigns directed to poor areas to distribute masks, gloves, sterilization materials and foodstuffs .

500 thousand dirhams fine for collecting donations without a license

The legal advisor, Salem Saeed Al-Heeqi, said that the state law established deterrent sanctions against beggars, and the role of community members remains in cooperating with official bodies to fight begging. He pointed out that the sixth article of Federal Law No. 9 of 2018 in the matter of combating begging states that it is punishable by imprisonment for a period of no less than six months and a fine of no less than 100 thousand dirhams for anyone who administers the crime of organized begging.

He pointed out that begging through collecting donations via social media platforms or via electronic networks is a crime, as Article 27 of the Law on Combating Information Technology states that “he shall be punished by imprisonment and a fine of not less than 250 thousand dirhams and not exceeding 500 thousand dirhams or one of these two penalties Everyone who creates or operates a website or supervises it or publishes information on the information network or other information technology means for calling or promoting fundraising without a license approved by the competent authority ».