Bogus bag collectors stealing away donations

Charitable donations ripe for the picking. Pic: Carl D Patterson

Bogus charity collectors are operating in the area, Poplar and Limehouse MP Jim Fitzpatrick has warned.

The national Bogus Bags campaign, supported by Fitzpatrick, is urging those leaving unwanted goods on their doorstep for charitable causes to take care to ensure their goods reach genuine charities.

Fitzpatrick said: “In some parts of the country, genuine charity collection bags have also been stolen from residents’ doorsteps. Not only is this a crime against local householders, but charities are losing out on millions in lost income each year.”

Alistair McLean, chief executive of the Fundraising Standards Board, and leader of the campaign, said: “While charity bag crime is a worry for all, we ask donors to remember that the large majority of collections are legitimate and that charities rely heavily on this income stream.”

Bogus collectors have also been operating in neighbouring boroughs, including Hackney and Waltham Forest.

Svetlana Kirov, head of corporate partnerships at the NSPCC, told EastLondonLines: “Bogus collectors not only take away valuable funds from the NSPCC and other legitimate charities, they damage the public’s confidence to donate in these challenging economic times.

“We are very grateful for the public’s generosity and world urge them to continue to donate their clothes. All Clothes Aid bags which are in aid of the NSPCC have our registered charity number.”

Residents are asked to check for legitimate charity bags, look for the FRSB tick logo indicating that the charity is signed up to fundraising regulation and industry standards. If in doubt, call a landline telephone number on fundraising materials for you to contact them on.

After making these checks, if you think that a collection is not legitimate, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or visit actionfraud.org.uk.

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