“Do not give money to the fake monk mafia!” read signs posted on toilet stall doors and above urinals in a men’s bathroom inside the Quincy Market building.

Officials from Faneuil Hall Marketplace are warning visitors to the popular tourist shopping destination not to dig into their pockets to give donations to a band of people they have dubbed the “fake monk mafia.”

“These are not real monks,” the signs read. “They have been harassing our visitors — please don’t encourage them by giving them money.”

The notices included images of people dressed in orange robes, wearing satchels. One image shows a man interacting with what marketplace officials believed to be a member of the so-called “monk mafia.”


Larger signs on metal stands were also posted outside, drawing interest from curious tourists passing by.

Joe O’Malley, general manager of Faneuil Hall Marketplace, said mall officials have received complaints about “individuals dressed in Monk garb that are rumored to be insincere in their fundraising efforts,” prompting the abundance of warning signs.

“As a destination for thousands of visitors daily, we are committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment for our patrons,” he said in a statement.

Some people have reported being approached by the individuals in orange garments, who offered them bracelets and then asked them to sign a notebook. Then the “monks” insisted they make a monetary contribution.

But as a boiling hot sun beamed down Tuesday afternoon on the city, a Globe reporter could not find anyone dressed in monk’s garb in the shopping district or on nearby Atlantic Avenue.

Earlier this month, a complaint was lodged about the “monks” on the city’s “Boston 311” app, a digital platform for constituent concerns.

“’Monks’ scamming Boston guests,’” the grievance, filed with the city July 17, near Atlantic Avenue, said. The report has not been closed by the city.


Similar incidents of “fake monks” allegedly soliciting funds from people in high-trafficked public places have been reported across the country.

In New York City, the presence of orange cloaked donation-seekers led to the creation of a Facebook page called “Fake Monks in New York City”.

Steve Annear can be reached at steve.annear@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @steveannear.