Law graduate arrested for stealing temple donations with his own QR code

A man in Baoji, Shaanxi province, has been arrested for allegedly stealing donation money from temples by replacing official QR codes on donation boxes with his own, authorities said.

Police investigations revealed that the suspect is a law graduate with a master's degree from a prestigious university.

The police were alerted after a temple in Baoji noticed suspicious activity involving the offering box. Surveillance footage showed the suspect removing the original QR code and replacing it with his own. Before leaving, he even knelt and bowed in front of the Buddha statue.

Following his arrest and interrogation, the suspect confessed to stealing over 30,000 yuan ($4,208) from temples across three provincial regions: Sichuan, Chongqing, and Shaanxi.

Police have recovered the stolen funds and returned them to the respective temples. The suspect currently faces criminal charges for his actions.