Cybermendicity: today’s emerging industry

Does the economy have you down, depressed and down? Is money tight? Are your credit card bills out of control? Maybe you’ve had some unexpected medical bills, or an accident, fire, or other catastrophe that’s costing you much more money than you can get.

Or maybe you want something a little more frivolous, like that dream vacation to the Caribbean, breast implants, a nose job, or that Hummer you’ve had your eye on (and of course, then you’ll need extra finances to cover gas!) ! ). Don’t worry… just go online and ask for the money!

 

Also known as “cyber begging,” asking for money online is the modern take on traditional begging. It involves asking strangers for money to satisfy a perceived or stated need. In a quote from Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, “Internet begging has the distinct advantage of street begging in that it can be practiced in relative anonymity, thus eliminating or reducing the apparent shame and disgrace of begging in public.”

 

Surrounded as we are by job losses, foreclosures, and bank failures, it’s no wonder that cyber panhandling has become popular. All over the Internet, sites are popping up that allow people to receive money online. So if you’re interested in jumping on the internet begging bandwagon, how do you get started?

 

There are several ways to set up your own website to encourage people to contribute to your cause. Probably the easiest thing to do is simply log on to one of the cyber begging sites which, for a small monthly fee, allows you to create your own page detailing your request. This page will include a button for donors to click if they want to make a contribution, usually through PayPal, a secure online site that makes it easy to transfer money between people or organizations. This is probably the safest and most convenient way to receive donations, however applicants have also been known to accept funds by mail. If you are interested in doing this, it is recommended that you obtain a PO Box to protect your mailing address.

 

Their donation site will allow the donor to contribute any amount from a hundred to thousands of dollars. You may sacrifice a bit of dignity by begging online, but if the story is to be trusted, you’ll be raising too much money to give it much thought. A quick check of the search engine results will show dozens of successful cyber panhandlers, and that doesn’t include all those who achieved their goals and discontinued their websites!

 

So, do you have a heartbreaking story of job loss, foreclosure, medical bills, or business bankruptcy? Maybe you just want a vacation or liposuction. It doesn’t really matter… as long as your story strikes a chord with your internet audience, you’re sure to start making money.