Is giving money to the poor and needy an obligation?

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When you are an adult and earn your own money, then yes you will be obligated to give the poor. The Lord emphasizes it in the Gospel. We call it almsgiving. That being said, you must be prudent in how you give. As others have said, this guy online is most likely a scam. I prefer to donate to Catholic / Church charities that help those in need.
 
Years ago I donated money to a Catholic community in Pakistan via a CAF contact. He sent me back photos of the community with a “thank you twf” sign… but more often than not these random foreign contacts are running a scam.
 
You know, reading your list of scam emails, I just realized I haven’t heard from that Nigerian prince in quite a while. i do hope he’s OK. 😉
 
I got a message a while ago from an old lady who claimed she had a revelation from God to give me her inheritance so I could do something extraordinary with it
 
I googled Gambia rice scam and a warning describing 3 different scams was the first result.

ETA: Feeding the hungry is one of the corporal works of mercy so yes we do have an obligation but there are so many ways we can live out the gospel. However, we are not obligated to give money to random people via social media. Even legit charities have social media accounts and I would vet them carefully before sending a dime.
 
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It’s a scam. Trust me. I’ve been on the Internet since 1997 and used to work for a law enforcement body in cybercrime area.
Never ever give to something like this. Ever. If you want to give to Africa, use Missio website, the Pope’s favorite charity.
 
Yes, block him/them!

Don’t send him/them any money or give them any personal info about you.
 
Rest assured that he is almost certainly a liar and a thief. He does not know your age, right? You could be 80 years old and just barely surviving on a small pension. He will gladly accept all of your money, allowing you to become homeless and starve. Sadly, this happens to many elderly with big hearts.

Oh, and do a Google reverse image search. You will find that those are not his children or family. He copied and pasted those images from various websites.
 
THis is MOST Likely a SCAM; do NOT send money prompted by any internet request.

DO however share your “wealth” in some small, but significant way with the POOR in your life. That ALSo means you can give of your time and talents:smile:

God Bless you and STAY close to GOD

Patrick
 
Joe1 said:
Apparently he’s using the phone operators phone because he can’t afford the internet. But yet he has an Instagram account with pictures. Should I block this person?
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Absolutely! Pray that God will send him whatever help he needs. Maybe it is some intervention to stop scamming the innocent and well meaning people of the world, such as yourself. Contribute your time and talents to a local charity.
 
Joe1 said:
I doubt people get messages in instagram everyday regarding something like this
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You would be surprised. They by lists of numbers, accounts, emails to get as broad a spam as possible. Dont’ give money to anyone who asks for it like this. Don’t give money to people on the street, either.
 
Hello.

Joe1, you warm my heart for being so caring and sensitive. I pray you never lose that part of you.

Many blessings.
 
You need to help the poor and needy in general, but you don’t need to help every single person you come across.

If it really bothers you then ask your parents (or any other adult role models in your life) about this situation.
 
Joe1 said:
So an hour ago I get a direct message on Instagram from a guy in Gambia. He says that he and his family are poor and starving. He asks if I could give him money. I’m 16 and I have money, but I don’t know how to give it to him. Also, I don’t even know if I’m allowed to. I don’t have a job, I get a monthly allowance of $20.

My question is what do I do? Would God be angry if I didn’t give this person money?
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Read up on Subsidiarity, your obligation is to help those close to you in need.

The guy contacting you is a scam, but if you still feel compelled to help people in Gambia then send $ to reputable charities working in Gambia.
 
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