Amsterdam police warn of fake asylum seekers panhandling aggressively

The Amsterdam police issued a warning through official channels about aggressive beggars in and around the capital city. According to the police, this involves Europeans pretending to be Syrian asylum seekers begging for money for their families, Het Parool reports.

Passersby will be handed an English-language note on the street saying that the person is a refugee and needs money to feed their children, for example. If the passerby refuses, he or she will be threatened or extorted into handing over cash.

The police ask that any such incident be reported immediately. Take careful note of what the beggar looks like.