Dear Watch Member,
Scammers can penetrate our everyday lives by using various social media platforms to try to trick people into donating to fake causes.
Following the recent tragic earthquake in Turkey and Syria, scammers from around the world are posting emotive images and language on social media and attempting to channel donations away from real charities and into their own accounts. Some scammers are even claiming to be linked to well known charities to do this. This is not the only cause that has been impacted by scammers, so if you are considering making a donation in response to an online appeal, we recommend that you check first to ensure that your money will be going where it is genuinely needed.
When giving online, there are a number of ways to avoid scams and donate safely:
Ensure a charity is genuine before giving any financial information. The Charity Commission for England and Wales advise you to check the charity name, registration number and official contact details at uk/checkcharity.
Some scammers will impersonate a well-known charity, so you should always type in the charity’s website address yourself, rather than clicking on a link, and look for the registered charity number on the website.
Only donate to online fundraising pages created by a person or organisation you know and trust. If in any doubt, contact the charity directly.
Ignore requests to donate through a money transfer company as this is a popular scam.
After making these checks, if you believe a fundraising appeal is fake, report it to Action Fraud.
For further advice visit https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/charity-donation-fraud.
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launches appeals when large-scale disasters hit countries without the capacity to respond. Visit www.dec.org.uk for more details.
If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]
Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team