A Chinese man is being hailed as the "world's kindest crook" after recently-released security footage shows him taking pity on the woman he was robbing.

The woman, who was identified by her surname Li, was withdrawing money from an ATM at an ICBC Bank in Heyuan, China last month when she was accosted by a man wielding a knife.

Terrified, Li quickly gave him the 2,500 yuan ($371) that she had just withdrawn from the machine – but when the man was unsatisfied by the amount, he asked her to show him her account balance.

Upon seeing that her account balance was at zero, however, the man simply laughs, smiles, and hands over the money that he had just taken from her.

The man can then be seen casually walking away from the bank as Li watches him go in disbelief.

The robber, who was eventually identified by his surname Deng, was later found and detained by the Heyuan Police, according to Miaopai media. Law enforcement says that he had reportedly tried to rob the woman because he "did not have a permanent job".

Regardless of his moral motivation, the man is receiving praise from social media users around the world after the security footage of his compassionate gesture was published last month.

(WATCH the video below) – Photo by CGTN

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