Beggars’ pilgrimage to Iaşi – incredible sums collected in just a few hours

While the pilgrimage to Saint Parascheva is currently underway in Iaşi, there is another kind of pilgrimage taking place: a pilgrimage of beggars who view the Venerable Saint’s feast day as a prime opportunity for profit.

Local police can do little more than confiscate the money collected and issue a fine for the misdemeanor.

Yet, the beggars return to the streets, quickly recouping both the confiscated cash and the cost of the fines.

24-Year-Old Ukrainian Woman Faked Spinal Issues

This is illustrated by the case of a 24-year-old Ukrainian woman who feigned serious health issues while collecting money from a wheelchair, according to BZI.

After spotting her, police confiscated the money she had gathered and issued a fine. However, they note that such measures do not deter those who come to Iaşi with a single goal: making money. The 24-year-old Ukrainian woman was completely unfazed by either the fine or the confiscation of her money; she even posed making the „V for victory” sign while sitting in her wheelchair—the most effective setup for successful begging.

„She wasn’t bothered by it at all”

A local police officer from Iaşi explained to the cited publication that the young Ukrainian woman had traveled from Odesa to Romania, where she held a temporary residence permit for Ploieşti.

She has no health issues, speaks Romanian, and told the police she wanted to raise money to help her mother after her brother died in the war.

„We confiscated the money and issued a fine, in accordance with the law. She wasn’t really bothered by it, though. On the contrary, she was smiling. And you saw how she posed: without a care in the world, completely unabashed,” an officer told the publication.

The most profitable setup: wheelchairs and children

In fact, begging during the pilgrimage is extremely lucrative—which is why Iaşi becomes a magnet for those who know how to exploit the compassion of passersby.

Many bring their children along, too.

Children, much like wheelchairs, are highly effective tools for amassing huge sums of money in record time. For instance, a woman from the Republic of Moldova collected 2,000 lei in just a few hours by using her minor daughter—whom she had placed in a wheelchair—even though the child had no health issues.

However, police say that as long as people continue to give money to beggars, the phenomenon will remain difficult to combat.