Chinese nationals busted in begging scam on Melbourne streets, police say

They weren’t homeless. Fake beggars were flown into Melbourne to send money back to China.

A beggar on the corner of Melbourne CBD’s Flinders and Swanston Streets. Picture: Mark Stewart

A group of Chinese nationals on tourist visas have been busted in a professional begging scam operating in Melbourne’s CBD, with police alleging they posed as vulnerable homeless people but wired hundreds of dollars a day back to China.

Seven people are charged with begging and possessing suspected proceeds of crime after being arrested with about $1000 in cash on CBD streets this week.

The group had come to Australia on tourist visas allegedly as part of a criminal syndicate and claimed to be homeless but all had accommodation, police said.

Acting Inspector Giovanni Travaglini described the group as “professional beggars”.

“They’re not vulnerable people, they have got access to housing and they’re just taking advantage and deceiving the good people of Melbourne,” he said.

“We’re a generous bunch and clearly they’re taking advantage of that and they need to be taken to task and we need to nip that in the bud.”

Mr Travaglini said the “professional beggars” had been caught with receipts showing money collected had been converted into Chinese currency. They have been referred to federal police and the Australian Border Force.

Some of the Chinese nationals appeared to have been in Australia for just three weeks and others a bit longer.

Police said the fake beggars were wearing clothing with patches on the outer garments and possibly deliberate worn out holes almost stereotypical of public perception of homeless people.

Salvation Army major Brendan Nottle said the organisation had been concerned over what it was seeing.

“I have to say that I actually felt physically sick when I saw what was taking place across the city because there are people in this city and the vast majority of them that we see sleeping rough are in absolute genuine need,” he said.

True homeless ‘pretty angry’

Major Nottle said he hoped people would understand those sleeping rough and vulnerable need a strategic response not a knee jerk response.

“What we really hope is that it makes a bit more careful about how they go about supporting people who are sleeping rough and people who are vulnerable,” he said.

He said the news of the ring had made Melbourne’s homeless “pretty angry”.

“They feel that perhaps there are some absolute minority who are taking advantage of the good will of Melbourne,” he said.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said part of Melbourne’s reputation was that it’s a generous and caring city.

“That’s why they’re coming,” she said.

“The real crux of this operation and what we’ve uncovered is that there are those that are genuinely in need and then those that are unfortunately taking advantage of the goodwill and generosity of Melburnians but they’re also taking advantage of those genuinely in need.”

She said it was not about being a “heartless” city but better understanding the sort of help that would make a significant difference in people’s lives.