Watch out for unscrupulous fundraisers

We have all seen on the news, following high profile tragedies like wars, earthquakes, floods or fires, that it is common to hear pleas for donations. Such tragedies often trigger an outpouring of public support and concern.

Consumers here in Brunei are always quite willing to donate money to help victims of such tragedies. However, the RTB Consumer Unit expressed concern that some scam artists may take advantage of this goodwill to trick consumers into giving money, which is only intended for their personal gain. Hence, the RTB Consumer Unit is urging the public to thoroughly check out charities in question before making any donations.

The RTB Consumer research team managed to film two 'unscrupulous fundraisers' approaching our researchers with a container asking for donation to help the children in need in Brunei. When asked about which organisation they represented and the name of the charity, they quickly ran away. The RTB Consumer Unit has called and talked with several charity organisations in Brunei. All representatives of charity organisations that we have contacted told us that, to their knowledge, they have never engaged in the "come to you for donation" approach.

Consumers should be cautious when approached by someone claiming to represent well-known charities. If the fundraiser doesn't have identification or proof that they are legitimate, they should be reported to the police. Consumers should also be cautious when making donation through a container. Check the container carefully; some scam artists may just paste the name of a well-known charity organisation on the container to fool donors.

A charitable scam occurs when donations to worthy charitable causes end up in a scam artist's pocket. Many bogus charities have names that sound similar to long-established charities. Do not be fooled. Find out where and how your donation will be used, and what percentage of donations goes directly to carry out the charitable purpose. Don't be bullied into making a donation. Real charities don't use high-pressure tactics to collect donations.

As donors, we must decide among the many charities competing for our donations. Unfortunately, not all charities operate with charitable intentions. Just as there are unwise purchases, there are also unworthy charities.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin