RIYADH, 22 October 2005 — As Saudis filled with the charitable spirit of Ramadan go to and from the mosques of the city, they are more than happy to help a traveler in need. What they may not realize, however, is that some of the needy are more greedy than needy.

Con men are on the prowl masquerading as travelers in need, often in fancy cars with wives and children and tales of lost wallets and interrupted pilgrimages hoping to fleece the faithful in the name of charity.

The fancy cars and sad tales are meant to cloak their activities from the Anti-Beggary Department. Here’s how the scam unfolds from the rolled-down window of a car.

“I’m coming from Dammam to go to Makkah via Riyadh,” the “traveler” begins. “I found my wallet missing when I went to pay my bills at the supermarket. I am unable to go to Makkah nor can I return home since I am penniless. Could you help me, sir?”

A look in the car reveals a youngster and a woman in the back seat. More often than not, the passerby pulls out his wallet and helps the hapless “family” on their way.

Arab News uncovered several similar stories over the last few days. Mohammed Rizmi who works for a foreign mission in the capital told Arab News that he parted with SR50 to help such a con man.

“Although my wife told me not to give him anything, I felt sympathetic toward the man since he was traveling with his family in the car and told me that he needed only SR50 to return to Alkhobar,” Rizmi said.

He realized he had been cheated when he saw the same man approaching another pedestrian for similar help.

Saifudeen Thassim, an executive of SAMBA Financial Group, said that he encountered such a family as he was going for Taraweeh prayers from his home to the nearby mosque. “I saw two children in the car with the motorist’s wife and I couldn’t refuse since I didn’t have time to go into details of his case,” Thassim said, adding that these cases often go unreported, aggravating the problem. “This is a despicable form of beggary and this should be stopped through media publicity,” he said.

Mohammed Ali, who works as an accountant in a steel factory, said the scams are as common as iftars during the holy month.

“They come in swanky cars, possibly rented, to pull a fast one on people who don’t have time to check the details,” he said.

Ali saw an Asian, dressed in Saudi attire, who claimed to be stranded with his family in Riyadh after a car breakdown and in need of money for radiator repair.

“Some of these people are so smart that they even shed tears to lend an air of realism to the drama,” Ali said.

An Indian expat said he had met such “stranded” people in the precincts of the Grand Mosque in Makkah every Ramadan since his first visit there in 1985. Then he happily parted with the only SR100 in his wallet to help out a young man who claimed that he and his parents had lost all their money and documents in the mosque.

According to Saudi authorities, beggary is big business in Saudi Arabia, with many gangs cashing in on the good will of Saudis. Some people are smuggled in on fraudulent visas for Haj and Umrah. Many arrive from Africa and among them are children, old people and the physically handicapped. The proceeds are split between the beggars and the gang leaders. Con man or person in need? It’s a tough call, but make sure you’re helping the needy instead of the greedy.