CHARITY FRAUD
Fraudsters rely on the public’s generosity in giving to charities and worthy causes and may claim to be fundraising by impersonating a genuine charity or have set up a fake charity. These may be very often tied into current events in the world.
Criminals may use various methods including emails online, door to door collections or street collections for cash. There have also been several recent reports of collectors, often dressed in tabards with the charity name going door to door and asking residents to sign up to Direct Debit payments for a Charity. Whilst many may be genuine the public are advised to always be wary, and ensure you are not giving money to fraudsters.
There are strict rules on door-to-door collections provided by the Fundraising Regulator and in many cases a licence is required from the local authority.
Simple checks you can do include: Check the Charity name and Registration Number at https://gov.uk/checkcharityCheck the Fundraising Regulator’s online directory to make sure a charity is committed to good fundraising practice – see https://gov.uk/checkcharityIf you still have doubts, then ask for more information as any genuine charity will be happy to give you more details. Any appeal should be clear on precisely what your donation will be used for.
Street and door to door collections:Collectors should always wear a visible and authentic ID badge.Collection buckets should be securely sealed and undamaged; fundraising materials should always show the Charity name, registration number and a landline phone number.Be wary of signing up to Direct Debit payments on the doorstep especially if these are open ended payments. If you are unsure, then make the payment direct to your chosen charity. If in doubt, ask them for more details.
Online Charity Appeals Never click on links in emails and attachments but visit the Charity’s website yourself and check the Charity registration number. Never respond to unsolicited messages asking for personal and financial details.B eware of any advertising materials that just display a mobile telephone number. Never respond to requests for donations through a money transfer company.
So, only give to Online Fundraising pages from known and trusted sources, contact that Charity direct if in doubt. If you still think the appeal is false, then report it to Action Fraud.
Contact details below.
Please feel free to share these messages with any vulnerable friends, relatives or neighbours.
If you have been a victim of fraud
Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via actionfraud.police.uk
Scam Text messages can be forwarded to 7726 to help phone providers take prompt action and block numbers that generate spam on their networks.
You can also report fraudulent mobile calls by texting 7726 with the word “Call” followed by the fraudster’s phone number.
Scam calls received on WhatsApp can be blocked by opening the chat with the suspect phone number and tap on “Block”.
Forward Fake Emails received to report@phishing.gov.uk
If you think your bank account or personal banking details have been used fraudulently, then use the short phone number – 159 – to contact the Fraud Prevention Department of most major UK banks.
WHATSAPP SCAMS
Criminals have made use of WhatsApp as a vehicle to defraud unsuspecting victims for several years now. The commonest scam recently has probably been the “Hi, Mum/Dad” message.
Other messages used by opportunist criminals have included FAKE GIVEAWAYS, EXCLUSIVE GROUPS, VERIFCATION CODES and WHATSAPP JOB OFFERS.
The current WhatsApp scam to be wary of is the WHATSAPP GOLD UPGRADE message.
This is a non-existent upgrade supposedly offering enhanced features and security, and may even claim a celebrity endorsement. If you follow the “sign up “message there is then a danger that you will download malware onto your phone, and then the criminals can steal your personal data.
So never click on any links in these suspect messages and you can report a message by selecting it in your conversation and tapping “Report”. Suspect Senders can be reported by opening the chat, click on the sender details and select “Block and Report”
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ASK SILVER
This is a new service offered by GETSAFEONLINE to check any suspect emails or texts.
Just take a screenshot or photo of the suspect message, open Ask Silver – Get Safe Online, then paste the image in the window. This will review the message and provide a report on the validity of the message.
Please feel free to share these messages with any vulnerable friends, relatives or neighbours.