Is Heartwarming Viral Video of Generous Homeless ‘Thomas’ a Scam?

Right before Christmas this "social experiment" video went viral. In it, a panhandler named "Thomas" is given $100. He goes to a liquor store.

You think you know where this is going. But then, oh my! He buys food and shares it with other homeless people!

Faith in humanity is restored. Everyone's hearts grow three sizes.

However, there are signs pointing to it being a fake. Because, the Internet.

Which, yes, a lot of what's online is not real. But, sounds like people are mad that they fell for it and that the video made them, you know, feel feelings.

I bet people are also mad because so far, $130,000 has been raised to help "Thomas," the man in the video. The donation page was set up by the guy who "secretly filmed" the whole incident, YouTube personality Josh Paler Lin.

On YouTube, he describes himself as the  "Craziest Asian Prankster alive." That probably should have been the first clue there may be something shady going on.

Aside from that, here's the evidence it could be a scam:

An eyewitness, 26-year-old Taugan Tan Kadalim told Vocativ:

"Bro (Lin) drove Thomas to the liquor store. While I think the guy is homeless, it is clear that from what I saw every part of that scene was staged."

Kaladim says he stopped at the same liquor store to buy a lottery ticket. As he was walking out of the liquor store, Kadalim says he spotted Lin sitting in the driver's seat of a nearby car and recognized him  from his other YouTube videos.

There was a cameraman in the passenger seat, and behind him was the man who Kadalim would later recognize as "Thomas", the homeless man Lin claims was secretly followed with a hidden camera.

Instead of following at a distance as he claimed, Kadalim says Lin not only gave Thomas a ride there, but went in and spoke with the cashier first before "Thomas" entered.

According to Gawker, a man who claims he's related to the video's homeless star has also come forward.

Kevin Nickel told KCBS-TV that Thomas is actually his brother, Kenny Nickel.

Nickel showed some family photos of his brother, saying he is afraid his sibling is "being manipulated"

He also says his brother is not broke, and is set to inherit $150,000 from their parents' estate.

"He's sitting on money," Kevin said, not sure if his brother is even aware of the donations being collected on his behalf. "But this is a scam. This money needs to go to people who really need it.

KCBS-TV reports it's being estimated Lin has made $52,000 from his YouTube channel,  not counting the Indiegogo fundraising  page he said he set up for "Thomas".

Lin posted another 8 minute video detailing a "makeover" he gave Thomas.

Lin insists none of the videos were staged or scripted. He posted the following on Facebook:

Watch it for yourself below.

What do you think? Is this real or another Internet hoax?