We see them all the time,.everywhere: people on street corners and in front of shopping center entrances with signs, looking sad and asking for money.  I think of it like telemarketing.  It must work, or nobody would do it.   But I wish they wouldn’t.  You just never know if they’re legitimately homeless and desperate people or just hucksters.   Like many, I just can’t give ‘em the benefit of the doubt.  I want to follow them and find out if they’re on the level.   A guy with a video camera in Richmond, Virginia did just that this past weekend.   Check out the video from 1t Productions.

Jose Martinez wrote about it on complex.com.   After catching a glimpse of her in action roaming the city and asking passing cars for money, the guy taking the video approached her as she was just about to hop into her 2014 Fiat in a McDonald's parking lot.

Watch as this woman makes herself look worse and worse, and even threatens the life of the guy exposing her shady efforts.   We find out she has a phone and a home.

Do you have any knowledge about any of our local panhandlers?  Are they legit?

Wouldn't it be great if we could just know?

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