Apparently, there are some very fake Thai monks making some very real demands of tourists near New York City tourist attractions.
The men, sometimes as many as a dozen at a time, have shaved heads and wear the traditional saffron robes. They claim to be Buddhist monks when approaching strangers. They are giving them golden medallions and talking about peace before asking for money to build a temple in Thailand. If the visitor says no, they get demanding.
The real Buddhist leaders in New York City have sent a warning to tourists that they should be careful of “fake monks” asking for cash.
According to Reverend TK Nakagaki, president of the Buddhist Council of New York (BCNY), the problem is getting worse. He said that the monks are, “Aggressive and hostile if you don’t give them money.”
BCNY is spreading their message about the fake holy men by talking to people on the street and by sharing the information on social media. They are warning tourists and city residents alike that, as far as BCNY knows, these men have no affiliation to Buddhist temples. They have called it a scam, reported the Associated Press.
Real New Yorkers are pretty hip to this scam, someone has even created a Facebook page devoted to the “Fake Monks in New York City.”
The fake monks have been spotted at the High Line park, handing out shiny coins and plastic bracelets. After giving a small gift, they demand ten or twenty dollars for a supposed temple that they say they hope to build. If people don’t pay, they take the “gifts” back.
Other “monks” have been seen running the same scam in Times Square, where they have also been seen handing off fistfuls of cash to other men nearby.
When asked by reporters, the “monks” could not give the name or location of the supposed temple in Thailand and would not give their real names.
The fake monks were first seen around New York City about three years ago, often appearing at the High Line public park. Robert Hammond, executive director of Friends of the High Line, said that their presence “became excessive” in the past year and that sometimes as many as 12 “monks” were barraging visitors and asking them for money.
Begging on New York streets is legal but it’s illegal in any city park and it’s also illegal to be aggressive with people when begging.
Spokesperson for the parks department Crystal Howard said that, so far, park enforcement officers haven’t issued a summons for the men but that their actions were illegal because they are performing “aggressive panhandling” as well as soliciting in the park without a permit. New York City police say that, when they have been called about the monks, they were gone by the time police arrived.
A few days after reporters were asking about the fake monks at the High Line, signs appeared there telling visitors not to give money to any kind of beggars.
Similar men in robes have been seen in San Francisco, requesting that tourists sign their “peace petition” and asking for money. The problem has gotten so bad in China that the government had to create an online registry for monks from Buddhist and Taoist sites.
Rob Cardillo, of Pennsylvania, was visiting Times Square when he gave a monk USD10 (THB350) to help with a temple. He doesn’t mind that the monk might have been a fake and may have ripped him off. In his mind, it’s the thought that counts and he wanted to help someone.
