Watch: Man gives money to beggar before stealing motorbike in Syria

A young man was caught on video giving money to a woman begging outside a mosque in the Damascus countryside before apparently stealing a motorbike parked nearby just seconds later, in footage that quickly went viral on social media.

The sequence, an act of charity followed almost immediately by an apparent theft, prompted a wave of reactions online, with some users likening the man, sarcastically, to Robin Hood, the legendary figure said to have stolen from the rich to give to the poor.

Others rejected the comparison, noting that motorbike owners may themselves depend on their vehicles for their livelihoods, while some argued that giving away money could not excuse or alter the nature of the alleged theft.

The video also prompted more humorous interpretations, with some social media users suggesting the man may have viewed the small donation as a way of seeking good fortune before carrying out the theft.