Small groups of "professional beggars" are unfairly fuelling public cynicism towards genuinely homeless people who beg to survive, the Salvation Army says.

The charity recently counted 135 beggars in or near Melbourne's CBD over a 10-week period.

The Salvation Army recently counted 135 beggars in or near the Melbourne CBD. Credit:Brand X Pictures

They discovered the majority of beggars were homeless and considered no threat to the public.

But there remains lingering concern about a small minority of people who are either aggressive or part of a loosely-organised begging network.