Beggars in southwest China are moving off the sidewalks and changing with the times by making their appeals on the Internet.
  
Known as "web beggars", they stay off the streets, go on-line, concoct sob stories, then write e-mails asking for money, the Beijing News has reported.
  
Zhang, from Chengdu, capital of the southwestern province of Sichuan, recently received an e-mail and forwarded it to the media.
  
It said: "I am a Chengdu local. Dad died when I was a kid and Mom is seriously ill. My girlfriend has just dumped me. I am so depressed that I cannot leave my home. Would you please help me with 10 yuan (1.2 dollars) for a meal?"
  
The sender left the name Li Dan and a bank account number.
  
Li Dan was later found by the reporter through QQ, a Chinese Internet chat service. He confirmed that he was 21 and had recently dropped out of the college.
  
"I started begging via the Internet last December, just for fun," he said. "But when I got the first deposit of 10 yuan in January, I decided to become a full-time web beggar."
 
Li said he knew about 10 other web beggars in Chengdu City. They all stayed at home to write e-mails and could probably send over 1,000 per day. They would exchange experiences and thoughts through QQ or websites for beggars.
  
"Sometimes, I am very lucky and receive money the same day I send the e-mail," Li said. "The largest amount I have received so far is 50 yuan."
  
Li has collected 168 yuan (US$20) this month from all around the country.
  
Li warned that some e-mails are sent by people who are not really poor, but just want to take advantage of people's charity.
  
"We real web beggars will identify ourselves by posting our e-mail addresses and names on the web," he added.  

(Xinhua News Agency March 2, 2004)