What does charity donation fraud involve?
Charity donation frauds play on your sympathy
by asking you to make a donation towards a group of people or a
particular cause. In many cases, the donation request is linked to
a high-profile event, such as an earthquake.
How does charity donation fraud work?
Charity donation frauds work in a number of ways. Here are just
some examples:
- You receive an email asking you to make a
donation to a charity. The email refers you to a website
or phone number you can use to make a payment by credit or bank
card
- Someone approaches you in a public place or at
your front door asking you to put money in a collection
box
- A collector drops an envelope through your
door asking you to put money in it before coming back to
collect it
- A collector leaves a bag at your home asking
you to fill it with clothes, toys or other household items for poor
people, often overseas. Again, they return to collect your donation
later.
Either the charity you are donating to
does not exist or fraudsters are misusing
the name of a genuine, often well-known
charity and pocketing your money.
If you donate through a website, the fraudsters may record your
credit or bank account details and use them to make purchases
through your account.
If you are asked to call a phone number, it
could be a premium rate number. This means the
fraudsters will pocket even more of your money on top of your
donation.
If you are asked to donate clothing or household items, the
fraudsters will sell them on to make money rather than giving them
to people in need.
How can I recognise a charity donation fraud?
It is important to note that genuine charities and fraudsters
use the same methods to solicit donations. So, take care when
trying to establish whether a fraud has actually taken place. Here
are some signs to look for:
- Genuine charities are registered with the
Charity
Commission and print their registration details on all
documentation, collection bags, envelopes etc. Check these details
exist and also contact the Charity Commission to confirm they are
authentic
- As well as identity documents, people collecting money for a
genuine charity must carry documents from the
charity confirming that they are collecting
legitimately and detailing any restrictions. Ask to see
these documents and check the details
- If the collection is for a charity you know is genuine,
check the collection is authorised by asking the
charity directly using contact details from the phone book or a
website you know is genuine
- Watch out for poor grammar and
spelling in emails and other documents, collection
envelopes etc.
What should I do?
- Report charity donation fraud to the Charity Commission
- If the fraud is in the name of a genuine charity, let the
charity know.