Warwickshire Trading Standards Warn of Fake Covid-19 Appeals and Urge Safe Giving
Many charities are coming together to support people affected by Covid-19. Unfortunately, fraudsters are taking advantage of the pandemic by creating fake fundraising platforms and bogus crowdfunding, falsely claiming that donations will support research into a vaccine or help people who are ill or self-isolating.
At this time of national emergency, The Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator are urging people to ‘give safely’.
The regulators encourage people to support registered charities, including the National Emergencies Trust (NET) national coronavirus fundraising appeal, launched to raise funds for local charities responding to the pandemic.
Thousands of other registered charities are also dealing with the pandemic or continuing to do important work throughout the country to support vulnerable people and communities.
Advice for the public on giving safely to registered charities is:
- Check the charity’s name and registration number - most charities with an annual income of £5,000 or more must be registered
- Make sure the charity is genuine before giving any personal or financial information or a donation
- Be wary of emails and texts, even if they appear to come from genuine charities. Do not follow links or download attachments in suspicious emails.
- Contact or find out more online about the charity that you’re seeking to donate to or work with to find out more about their spending. Visit their website by typing their genuine web address into your Internet browser.
- More safe giving advice from Fundraising Regulator.