‘Support Charity NOT Crime’ is a campaign aimed at equipping Londoners with the skills to identify genuine charity collections and the confidence to say no to collections about which they have doubts. Up to 30 London boroughs are taking part.
Most charity collections, in London and across the country, are genuine and legitimate, says the regulator the Charity Commission. However it says that charity scams do happen. There have been several convictions of people linked to fraudulent fund-raising in recent years.
Sam Younger, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, welcomed the campaign. “Initiatives like this support the good work of genuine charities and help disrupt people intent on abusing charity for criminal purposes.”
The Commission says there are steps the public can take to check whether an organisation appealing for donations is a genuine charity:
Check for charity name and registration number – you can verify these against the online charity register at www.charitycommission.gov.uk. Check whether collectors are wearing a proper ID badge and that any collection tin is sealed.
If in doubt, ask for more information – a genuine fundraiser should be happy to answer questions and explain more about the work of the charity. Genuine fundraising materials should feature a charity’s name, registration number and a landline contact number. Be wary of those that only list a mobile number.
Look out for the FRSB tick logo indicating that the charity is signed up to fundraising regulation, encouraging you to give with confidence. www.givewithconfidence.org.uk/
Fundraisers in London require a licence from the police to collect in a public place. If the collection is in a privately owned place (including shopping centres and train stations), check that they have the owner’s permission.
Take care when following links to a charity’s website – make sure you are being taken to the charity’s genuine website.
If you think that a collection or appeal is not legitimate, report it as a crime to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at http://www.actionfraud.police.uk
