Bogus Clothing Collections

Some clothing collection bags or leaflets may give the impression of charity when in fact the collection is being carried out by a profit-making company. These misleading materials may not use the words 'registered charity' but instead use pictures or wording that imply that the appeal is charitable, for example 'sick children at Christmas' or 'families in need'.

The Charity Commission have also been made aware of some cases where fraudsters have used the name, logo and charity registration number of a genuine charity to appeal for donations and keep the profits.

Most collections for charities are genuine and provide them with an important source of income.

To ensure that your donations reach those most in need, the Charities Commission have compiled the following tips:

• Most genuine collections will be raising funds for a specific individually named charity. You should be suspicious of any leaflet that does not state the name of the charity your donations will go to.
• If a collection is for a registered charity, legally this must be stated on any document advertising the collection of clothes or other property on behalf of the charity. Genuine leaflets will usually provide a charity registration number. Most door to door collections will leave their bags at least two days before they collect any donations, allowing you time to check the Charity Commission's online register of charities. http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk
• If for whatever reason you are still unsure about whether a collection is genuine, for example if it looks unprofessionally produced, is badly worded or contains spelling mistakes, and if you still wish to donate then you should try contacting the charity to check that the collection is legitimate. If the leaflet only gives mobile phone contacts or none at all, it may be a sign that the organisation is not collecting on behalf of a legitimate charity.
• Some advertising leaflets will give the impression that they are from a charity but provide a company registration number. This number is not the same as charity registration number and may be a sign that the organisation is operating commercially for profit and is not charitable.
• To check whether a collection is licensed and before making a donation you should contact us at Charities Office, Empress State Building, 12th Floor East, Lillie Road, London SW6 1TR on Telephone: 0207 161 4295 or email us at TPHQMailbox-.Charities@met.police.uk
• If you are concerned that your donations may not reach a registered charity then you can always give directly to your local charity shop or at any official clothing collection point.

To complain about a misleading leaflet appealing for clothing donations please contact your local Trading Standards Service on 08454 04 05 06. If you receive a bogus leaflet that falsely uses the details of a genuine charity, the collection may be unlawful and you should report this to your local Police Station. In either case, please also notify the Charity Commission so that they can gather information on offenders and work with their partners to combat and raise awareness of fraud.