'Fake' Buddhist monks scamming NY tourists

New York City Buddhist leaders are sounding the alarm to tourists: Beware the "fake monks."

Men in orange robes claiming to be Buddhist monks are approaching visitors to some of the city's most popular attractions, handing them shiny medallions and offering greetings of peace. They then hit them up for donations to help them build a temple in Thailand, and are persistent if their demands are refused.

"The problem seems to be increasing," said the Reverend TK Nakagaki, president of the Buddhist Council of New York, a group that represents nearly two dozen Buddhist temples. "They are very aggressive and hostile if you don't give them money."