Police issue warning over bogus charity collectors

Bogus charity collectors are people who claim to be fundraising on behalf of legitimate charities and keep the money for themselves.

Or they will fabricate charities to fundraise for, a lot of the time using emotive issues such as children or cancer or topical events such as natural disasters to get money out of unsuspecting people.

These scams can be done door to door or by phone.

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: “Don’t let legitimate charities lose out.

“There are many legitimate charities fundraising for good causes – every pound lost to a scam charity is a pound less that can be donated to a reputable cause.

“Those who wish to donate to charity should therefore check the legitimacy of the fundraiser before donating.”

How to spot signs of a fake charity collector

The charity collector might be vague about what the charity does or is fundraising for.

They could use topical events such as a natural disaster as an excuse for their charity only being created recently.

They might be aggressive or try to pressure you into donating.

Their promotional material or website may be badly written or have spelling mistakes.

How to protect yourself

Ask – genuine charity collectors will be more than happy to give you more information about the cause and answer your questions about where your money is going.

Check – they should have a registered charity number, you can check this through the Charity Commission. They should also have a licence if they are collecting in a public place.

Go direct – if you are in doubt, contact the charity yourself and check (do not use the details provided to you by the collector).

Take your time ­– don’t feel pressured to donate then and there. Take your time to think it over and you can donate directly to the charity at a later time.

Say no - don’t be afraid to say no, either by shutting the door or hanging up the phone.

More information can be found on the West Yorskhire Police website https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/advice/home-security/home-security/doorstep-crime.