Bogus charity house collections

[almagray]

This morning,at 6.10,I left a plastic bag packed with various kinds of donations - clothes, shoes, bags etc and marked with collection for the British Red Cross. I had checked with the Red Cross yesterday that a van would collect the bags they had left with householders and they had advised me to leave the bag out early since it was known for 'rogue' collectors to pick up the bags in place of the Red Cross.

At 6.20, I looked out of my front bedroom window and saw an unmarked white van pull up in front of my house. A man leaving the van rushed up the path, snatched the plastic bag intended for the Red Cross and then drove off at speed.

I checked with the Red Cross later this morning and they told me that they only collect in vans marked with British Red Cross and that clearly my donations had been stolen by the 'rogue' collectors.

I consider this is a theft and I have reported it to the Met Police. I have also tried to contact East Dulwich Safer Neighbourhood Police without success.

Has the East Dulwich Forum received any similar accounts of theft of items left out for collection by genuine charities and is there any movement to stop these bogus people with their scams?

[SeanMacGabhann]

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