Police warning over charity cold callers

The force has received a number of reports of individuals knocking on doors asking for donations for what may appear to be genuine charities.

However, upon further investigation, the existence of the ‘good cause’ cannot be verified.

A police spokesperson said: “Charity donation fraud is a particularly pernicious crime which exploits the empathy the vast majority of us have for those who are genuinely in need.

“One fail-safe piece of advice to householders is ‘if you’re not sure, don’t open the door’.

However, if you do engage with a cold caller or someone who stops you in the street who claims to represent a charity, you have every right to ask for identification, to ask for the registration number given by the Charities Commission to genuine charities, a contact telephone number and a website address.

“Do not hand over cash and do not disclose banking details, such as account and credit card numbers. Politely decline and inform the caller that you wish to check the charity is genuine. If it is, you can always make a donation online, over the phone or set up a direct debit later once you are satisfied.”

If you have any concerns that the caller does not appear to be representing a genuine charity, report it immediately to Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

For more information visit the www.actionfraud.police.uk website.