Be aware of a new potential fraud to face the misery of Londoners reeling from London riots.
This type of fraud is known as Opportunist Fraud.
If it was not enough that those who have been humiliated, defiled, and have lost their homes and businesses from those looters who felt that it was their right to take what was theirs because society somehow owed them, groups are set up for you to give money to aid those in need who are not what they seem.
Whilst there are truly good and genuine organisations who have responded to the call for aid, there are a number of fake organisations arising whose intentions are to give nothing to those in need, but instead to line their pockets because an opportunity has arisen to do so.
What to look out for :
1. Is the organisation a registered charity?
2. Are they known to you, locally?
3. Do you have a specific name, number, and address?
4. Does the organisation have a Bank account, or are they simply asking for cash?
5. Are the people who approach you, doing so via an unsolicited telephone call, or a knock on your door?
6. Are those callers pushy to obtain payment, and over-dramatic in their plea for funds?
If in doubt, contact your local Police Station, and/or your local Trading Standards Officer and make a complaint.
According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, 1 in 100 fraudulent calls, are reported, and 1 in 20 fraudulent calls are successful in obtaining funds from you for ulterior motives.
The writer is Partner and Head of Litigation at Darlingtons, a working member of the Fraud Advisory Panel, and an Associate member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
