You may have come across a recent report by Lincoln Jay of Rebel News in which Jay exposed a band of female beggars in Mississauga, Ont., who were actually running a scam operation. Which is to say, they were claiming they were destitute and were trying to support several children. Alas, it turns out they were cogs in an elaborate grifting operation, passing themselves off as homeless in order to prey upon the generosity of good Samaritans.

How low can one go?

Jay’s report quickly went viral. And the Rebel News Tips Line soon lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree. Numerous reports flooded in from viewers regarding similar con jobs operating not just in the greater Toronto area but across Canada and even in some U.S. cities.

Panhandling scheme in Canada exposed!

As Canadians struggle to make ends meet, two women in Mississauga, Ont. appear to be preying on people's generosity.

People are pretending to be homeless and begging for money on the streets of Mississauga, Ont. in an organized fashion.

At… pic.twitter.com/4ZnJsbaai7

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) May 13, 2025

So it is we went on full alert to spot — and expose — similar cons.

And last Saturday, we happened upon one such grifter outside a No Frills supermarket in Richmond Hill, Ont.

She was brandishing a cardboard sign claiming she had three children to support. We observed numerous people giving her both cash and groceries. We eventually approached her and gave her a $5 donation to engage in a conversation. In broken English, she told us she lived in a basement apartment a short distance away from the supermarket. We were uncertain if she was unable to fluently speak English or if she was simply pretending that she couldn’t speak English.

After our interaction, we waited in the parking lot of the plaza. About two hours later, she packed up her bags and walked across the parking lot, presumably on her way home to that aforementioned nearby basement apartment. But no. Instead, she made a beeline to a blue Nissan that was waiting for her in the lot. She got into the car; we have no idea whether the male driver was her husband or her pimp — or both.

We discreetly followed the Nissan. And it was eyebrow-raising to discover that the vehicle was headed towards Hwy. 404 southbound to Scarborough, some 25 km southeast of Richmond Hill. Hey, what happened to that basement apartment? And where exactly are those three kids (assuming they actually exist)?

When the vehicle pulled over at a delicatessen, we approached the couple and asked them about their fake begging operation. Incredibly, the woman played dumb, denying she was begging outside the Richmond Hill No Frills supermarket even though her activity was all caught on camera. She also denied that she had been brandishing a cardboard sign proclaiming she had three kids — even though that very same sign was in the hatchback area of the Nissan.

We followed them again to another plaza that had a Food Basics supermarket. We were wondering if she was planning to carry on her begging act here. But once the couple saw us, they beat a hasty retreat.

Our ultimate goal was to find out where they resided. That’s because we are quite certain they do not live in a shelter nor a homeless encampment. One thing is for sure: they do not live in Richmond Hill. Alas, given that the couple was now on to us, they drove at an unsafe speed and at one point blew through a red light. We declined to follow any further. But it is obvious that this so-called destitute woman with three kids to support is clearly not who she claims to be. Rather, she would appear to be yet another scammer taking advantage of kindhearted people.

If you know of another area where this behaviour is taking place, please let us know by reaching out to the Rebel News Tips Line: [email protected]. Let’s all do our best to expose these shameful scammers.

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