A person dressed as a monk asked me for money or alms in a tourist area. Is this a genuine request or a scam?
In many tourist areas, people dressed as monks soliciting cash directly from tourists, especially with a scripted pitch or a donation book, are impersonators rather than genuine monastics, since authentic alms practices in most Buddhist traditions do not involve direct cash solicitation of strangers on the street.
Last reviewed: 5 July 2026
Explanation
In several countries with significant Buddhist populations, genuine monastic alms practice typically involves monks walking a set route at a set time to receive food offerings, not cash, from lay supporters who know and expect their visit, following specific rules about what may be accepted and how. Scammers exploit tourists' unfamiliarity with these actual practices by dressing in robes, sometimes purchased or imitation, and approaching foreign visitors directly in tourist areas asking for cash donations, sometimes offering a blessing, a bracelet, or a small trinket in exchange, or presenting a donation book with impressive-looking prior entries to encourage a larger contribution.
This scam is effective specifically because tourists want to be respectful of local religious customs and do not want to risk being disrespectful by questioning someone in religious dress, which is exactly the hesitation the impersonator relies on. Local monastic authorities in several affected countries have issued public warnings about this practice precisely because it also harms the genuine monastic community's reputation and blurs the line for visitors between authentic practice and street-level fraud.
Tourists who want to genuinely support monastic communities are generally better served by donating through a temple directly, participating in an organized and properly explained alms-giving experience, or supporting a recognized Buddhist charitable organization, rather than giving cash to an individual approaching them unprompted in a tourist area.
Common red flags
- The person directly approaches tourists in a commercial or tourist area asking for cash
- A donation book is shown with large prior entries to encourage a bigger contribution
- A trinket, bracelet, or blessing is offered in exchange for a cash donation
- The individual is not affiliated with any specific temple that can be checked or visited
- Local tourism authorities or temples in the area have issued public warnings about this specific practice
What to do now
- Politely decline if approached directly for cash by someone in religious dress in a tourist area
- Support genuine monastic communities by donating directly at an established temple instead
- Ask hotel staff or a local guide whether this specific practice is a known scam in the area you are visiting
- Report the individual to local tourist police if you believe you were misled
- Share your experience with other travelers to help them avoid the same approach
Frequently asked questions
Is it disrespectful to decline if someone in monk's robes asks me for money?
No, declining a direct cash request from a stranger in a tourist area is not disrespectful to genuine Buddhist practice, since authentic alms customs do not typically involve directly soliciting cash from unfamiliar foreign visitors on the street.