GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — You may have noticed a group of panhandlers this week around Grand Rapids using a heart-wrenching story to get money from motorists.
It's likely a fake scheme that groups across the country have used to solicit money from motorists at intersections.
They've been spotted at Leonard and Fuller, 28th and Division, and other areas in the Greater Grand Rapids area this week.
Grand Rapids Police and other regional law enforcement agencies are aware of the traveling group asking for money using a fake story.
It's not illegal to ask for money in public spaces. That's protected by the First Amendment, but there are state laws and local ordinances that prohibit doing so under false pretenses.
"Individuals asking for donations on streetcorners or near traffic signals are often counting on drivers making a split-second decision based on an emotional response. Whatever the circumstance, we encourage people to be thoughtful and use their best judgment when making donations," a Grand Rapids Police spokesperson said. "We also want everyone to remember that blocking traffic for any reason can lead to a citation."
13 ON YOUR SIDE talked to Taylor Marie who said she saw the group in Wyoming.
"They said that she had leukemia and died so it was just very sad to see that people are out here using children and cancer to raise money when that’s not the case. I lost my dad two years ago to cancer, so it upset me to see these people doing this," she said.
This isn't a new scheme. Similar cases of traveling panhandling groups have been reported in Florida and St. Louis as far back as 2022.
Just this weekend, a group asking for money to pay for a 9-year-old's funeral was in South Bend, Indiana.
Law enforcement there said to be careful how you decide to donate your money.
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