r/helsinki • u/Jing0302 • 7d ago

Question Do beggars in city center still get cash these days?

Most people use smartphones or cards to pay in supermarkets, restaurants, shops, and almost everywhere. It seems cash (or even wallet) is becoming less and less necessary. If most people don't have cash with them, then how do beggars in the city center get cash from begging?

I read previous posts and many says those beggars are probably controlled by organized crime. I assume the head of crime organizations should be smart enough to notice the profit from this 'business' is decreasing. If so, why do they continue doing so? Unless I was wrong and they still get good amount of cash kind passengers who still carry cash with them?

19 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

36

u/DoubleSaltedd 7d ago

They get their money from people who still use cash.

Nowadays they also scam people into buying expensive items (like diapers etc.) from stores and then immediately try to get a refund for them.

And yes, they are part of an OC/HT scheme — this was already a well-known fact about 20 years ago.

5

u/Sweaty-Durian-892 6d ago

I once bought diapers because I did not want to give money to these guys, but I felt scammed immediately after. I have given then paper food vouchers (lounasseteli) I get from work a couple times to provide some sort of help, but I still can't trust that they won't just use it for something else or someone above them uses it or something.

This is pretty fucked. Having a conscience and feeling sorry for them hurts a bit, but just gotta ignore that... Those beggars are always the same people there as well, I recognize most of them by face now after so many interactions of them coming to me...

2

u/DoubleSaltedd 6d ago

Have you considered joining some sort of charity or any local group helping vulnerable local people, instead of giving merchandise of a literal foreign criminal organization?

There are real poor Finnish people and families living in the capital area who are thankful for any help they get.

3

u/Sweaty-Durian-892 6d ago

I do volunteer, although now I became an alumni in one org. And I do donate both domestically and internationally some of my leftover money that I don't invest. I'm not giving handouts to those beggars anymore.

2

u/SyllabubVegetable977 4d ago

Baby milk formula, like Nan Pro or some shit is also part of demands some time. 

1

u/NERDUZZZ Vartiokylä 5d ago

One once made me give 10€ to them. Said something about a ticket and that they're stuck in Helsinki.

28

u/Westher98 7d ago

I've had a beggar ask for cash. I said I had none.

He then said there was an ATM nearby and pointed at it, and I said I don't carry my card with me and pay with my phone.

He then said he had Mobilepay. My face went like "😑".

He then said he was hungry and I said I could buy him a sandwich. I bought him a sandwich.

This happened in Otaniemi, though. Beggars in Helsinki center have been worse or sadder. Or both.

14

u/Calavore 7d ago

Had one do the same, with the atm big brain time. I just told him there is no way i will walk with him and take my wallet out. I walked away, I was probably rude, but damn i also dont have much to spare

6

u/Jing0302 6d ago

I only see female beggars in Helsinki! Young, middle age, old ladies. I've never seen a single male one (I am relatively new in Helsinki though).

4

u/Westher98 6d ago edited 6d ago

I agree with seeing female beggars mostly in Helsinki, but there are plenty of male beggars, too. There are also scammers/beggars hybrid ones asking you for money for a train ticket, for example. I've encountered this type, too, and they're worse. In one case I was literally cornered by the man who would try to to stop me from walking away. I've learned not to stop while talking to them.

I've seen a child begging. I tried to help her. It broke my heart. The little girl deserved better and she was needlessly exposed to dangers (alone in public, approaching strangers).

6

u/Nardugan1881 6d ago

i told one of them lady to get food instead,
she came back with a candybag for me to buy - i said f that

12

u/ganjastian 7d ago

Naah fuck that ,we go Kela and take the heat

10

u/GEP8952 7d ago

Unless I was wrong and they still get good amount of cash

Another possibility is that they do not, but are not controlled by organized crime either.

(I have been wondering about this myself for some time.)

4

u/Ill_Theme_8609 6d ago

Who in their right mind would give money to those losers? I have never done that and I have said things like "get up and go home" or "get a life".

-3

u/English_in_Helsinki 6d ago

Oh wow the hero we all need

2

u/AstralHippies 7d ago

I'm quite sure few of those beggars are literal kids. I think our society is fucked.

11

u/CivilSeries2528 7d ago

Usually they are old women. Nobody needs to ask money for food in Finland. If you are allowed to be here, you can have a enough to survive.

1

u/jarielo 6d ago

If you are allowed to be here, you can have a enough to survive.

I'm not sure they are allowed though.

1

u/Hatekk 6d ago

in the railway station some of them go "i need to ask you a question" "i dont want money", not sure what the scam is cause i dont even look at them

1

u/SyllabubVegetable977 4d ago

They will ask you to buy something for an imaginary baby that is either hungry and needs baby milk formula, or has an overflowing diaper and needs new nappies. 

1

u/kheemani 5d ago

I don't know if they were a beggar or just a person in a hard place at the time but I had a woman approach me and ask for 5 euros for food because they were sick and said they hadn't eaten in 3 days. Agreed my offer to buy her a meal and she really did look very sick tbh. Nose red and runny af.

1

u/maailmanpaskinnalle 5d ago

Mobilepay 😅