by Katerina Nikolas
Amidst the slew of online begging sites Begslist.org costs nothing for cyber beggars to sign up and post their pleas for donations. They hope to be found by one of the kind souls who scour the internet looking to give their cash away. Whilst other sites often charge a hefty sign up fee Begslist.org is still free, as its creator knows what hard times are.
Instead of the beggars paying to post, Begslist runs paid advertisements from businesses which include online gambling sites, pay day loan lenders and credit repair
services. This could be convenient for one of the sites cyber beggars
who pleads for money to fund his gambling trip, as he could save on the
travel expenses and hit the online gambling instead.
Whilst the site is free it does promise to feature those
that donate $9.95 when they post, that their begging post will be
featured in the ‘Begslist Spotlight’. The site also gives advice to its
online beggars on how to avoid being scammed by donors, though it
doesn’t highlight the dangers of donors being scammed by beggars.
Common scams to look out for the typical email
type which purport to come from Presidents and Doctors, and those who
need your address to send you a check which will require a return check
for the over donated amount once cashed. Beggars are also warned of the
countries which most likely send scam mails, including Nigeria and the
UK.
The site does not publish photographs or personal details of
the beggars, though some do post their PayPal email address. Many choose
to post their names though along with email addresses and place of
work. Requests for cash are divided into various sections such as money
for debts, students, medical bills, food, rent, toys and entertainment.
The latter category includes requests for beer money, new computers and gaming consoles.
One
cyber beggar who intends to run for public office soon seems to have
misunderstood the nature of cyber begging and touchingly declares
himself to be a “35 year okld mail” in need of a wife. Another poster
has urgent need of $10000 “for breast augmentation. In return I will take naked pictures of myself, with my new breasts.” What voyeur could turn down an offer like that?
Cyber
beggars have a varied international background with representatives of
India, Canada, Bulgaria and the Philippines all featured. What they all
have in common is a Pay Pal account and a sob story.
There
is nothing to say that those who beg online will receive a cent from it
but they are encouraged to click on the adverts to express their
gratitude for the free service which Begslist provides. Donors on the
other hand are more likely to avoid being scammed by giving directly to
the poor, the needy, or a charity.
