Damien Preston-Booth is probably the smartest, most resourceful beggar in the world. Every week, the 37-year-old accepts donations from wealthy tourists… via credit card! He actually carries around a card reader to make sure he doesn’t miss out on contributions from rich people who don’t have cash on them.
Every Wednesday for the past five years, Booth has journeyed from his $300 a month rented apartment, where he pretends to be homeless, spending three days and nights sleeping rough and begging. He walks up to potential donors and tries appealing to their generosity. If they’re ready to contribute, he quickly whips out his mobile card reader that transfers all payments to his PayPal account. The reader is linked via Bluetooth to his smartphone, and the donor receives a receipt for his donation.
Booth has managed to convert what is viewed as a rather ignoble occupation into a full-time profession. And he’s struck gold – a former friend claims that the man has earned thousands of dollars and even spent five or six holidays abroad in just one year! In fact, his Facebook page has pictures of him in Paris and Ibiza. Photographs in the media show him accepting payments from the likes of Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne.
Do you give to the homeless? If you didn’t have cash, would you use your credit card?