Published: Thursday, 15th March, 2007 09:32
Clothes con warning
By Rachel Lamb
Print Article
GENEROUS donors who handed over clothes and toys to help poor families in Eastern Europe may have been swindled by a gang of Polish crooks.
The Advertiser can reveal that the heartless conmen have moved in on the Helensburgh area.
The gang, who set up a bogus charity under the names Scottish Help For the Poor People! and Scottish Help For the World, have delivered leaflets to properties in Helensburgh and Lomond.
The distinctive yellow and blue flyers appeal for homeowners to donate quality clothes, toys and household goods to help poor people in Eastern Europe.
But an employee for the group this week admitted in a Sunday newspaper items are sold on at huge profits when they reach Poland.
One Helensburgh resident, who asked not to be named, said she felt cheated after receiving one of the flyers.
She added: “It’s taking advantage of people’s generosity. It would definitely put me off handing anything over at the door.
`When you give something to charity you want to make sure it’s going to people that need it not lining the pockets of crooks.”
The Advertiser alerted Argyll and Bute Trading Standards Office to the scam after a concerned reader handed over leaflets that had been dropped through her letter box.
Kate Connelly, Operations Manager for Trading Standards, said: “Local trading standards offices in Argyll and Bute have not, as yet, received complaints on this issue, however our colleagues in neighbouring council services have been dealing with enquires for several weeks.
“Unfortunately this type of activity is becoming more common and we would encourage consumers to get in touch with the charities regulator OSCR to check the status or validity of any particular agency.
“As with the majority of consumer transactions, people may prefer to deal with the local charity organisations in their own areas who have established a trusted reputation. Most of these will also offer home collection of goods on request.”
The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) told the Advertiser that Scottish Help had broken the law by posing as a registered charity and confirmed that they are investigating the gang.
A spokesman for the group said: “Since August 2006 OSCR has received a number of referrals from the public regarding the charitable status of Scottish Help (also known as Scottish Help for the World and Scottish Help for the Poor People).
“Scottish Help have distributed leaflets for the purposes of collecting goods in Glasgow and the surrounding area. Those leaflets displayed ‘registered charity number PL168639’ and referred to a ‘charity collection’. Scottish Help is not entered on the Scottish Charity Register.`
OSCR has recently produced guidance for the public on door-to-door collections. This information is available at www.oscr.org.
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