A man in China reportedly replaced the QR code on the donation box in a temple in Baoji in Shaanxi Province with his own.
On Saturday (3 Aug), CCTV footage of the incident was posted on the Chinese social media site Weibo. Since Chinese worshippers are accustomed to not carrying cash, the temple had considerately placed QR codes on the donation boxes for their convenience, which the man took advantage of.
The video shows the man taking advantage of a moment when no one was around to replace the temple’s QR code sticker with his own.
Before leaving, he even bowed three times to the Buddha statue.
Unlike cash transactions, electronic payments leave clear transaction records.
While the police were tracking the perpetrator, they were able to trace all related transactions to the man’s account using the false QR code.
The man was eventually arrested by the Baoji Police at Famen Temple Scenic Area Branch, and the stolen funds were recovered.
According to Sing Tao Daily, the man had committed similar crimes in several locations in Sichuan and Chongqing, stealing over RMB30,000 (S$5,500) in donations.
The police have contacted the affected temples to return the stolen money.
The police also revealed that the thief graduated with a master’s degree in law from a prestigious university in China.
Also read: Thieves Allegedly Steal Thousands In Donation Money From Changi Road Temple Using Double-Sided Tape
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Featured image adapted from 华商报 on Weibo and 青流视频 on Weibo.
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