It is noticed that more and more beggars appear in the net, and their posts are more and more professional and thought-out. I don't say that I don't trust people who have problems, or who faced hardships. But other people evidently chase for money, and I don't think this could be let alone.
There's a special kind of scam, which is built on complaining (almost blackmail), aimed at stirring one's pity, to ask for money (because it's impossible to ask for something else in the net). Sometimes they don't complain, they just ask. :) Don't ask much if you want to be given. If you ask much, then you will receive nothing - hardly any person is ready to give tidy sum even for the sake of sympathy.
You need to ask softly-softly, but noticeably. Forums and, more rarely, spam is the way for the users in the net. But spam has so negative anchors in the consciousness, that few persons answer it. Scammers that act offline, send the letters (put them into mail boxes) and knock on your door. Beggars on the streets are sometimes not so miserable as they want to seem... Let's come back to Internet.
What are the most frequent reasons for asking for money on our sphere? You invested all and spent, and you need something to win back. You may say you're a kid who lost everything and you need to give the money back to parents. Don't laugh, I've seen such complaint.
Some people ask for money to transfer to somewhere, or something simpler. In general, they try to give the details of the situation, and they try to be sincere and reasonable, if it is possible. They usually manage. :) Of course references are provided for the transfer, and you may also add that you will give the money back.
Let's think what if 1000 people will give you a cent each? This will be a hundred dollars. Ridiculous sum. What do you do with it? But what if they are for free? You probably don't need to make much effort; you need just to post some messages on the forums.
Some of those people are not likely to appear there again. Well, if you give a cent to everybody, you will really help someone sooner or later... but sometimes people ask for more. Then this is a question of your conscience.
Stop! But there are the circumstances when... Yes, things happen. And it happens that people really need help. But wait, do you know many people in the net who don't have a single friend, who may help with such a small sum, that beggars ask? It's hard to believe in this.
So it's hard for me to trust and I don't trust. And I don't give. I think you shouldn't give as well, in order to prevent mendicancy in the Internet, which turns into similar way of mendicancy in a real life, which. I think, is hardly ever pleasant for people.