It's All For Chirridee Mate!

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34111788
I don't give to the major charities anyway, now they are employing con men there's even less chance!

[mikey4444]

TTT...this is awful. I heard it being discussed on the radio this morning.
Old people are being targeted by these con men, and for a charity to be responsible, its juts not on.

[EcclesCake]

It isn't new.

Fifteen years ago my father was parting with anything from £1-3k per month to these organisations.

He was a stubborn old fellow and wouldn't listen to his daughter because as a mere female I clearly knew nothing.

[wolf63]

Eccles - we must have had the same dad.

I think that this is a most despicable way for charities to work. The information should not be sold on.

There are many charities that do excellent work and are this sort of press gives them a bad name.

[Huderon]

You might want to read that report again TTT. The charities do not knowingly employ con men.

As I undertsand it, from Radio 4 news broadcasts, Mr Rae completed a survey 24 years ago and did not opt out of having his details passed on to other charities/companies.

Back then it was usual to include a tick box to opt out of having your details shared/sold on, as once a company had your details they could make some money by selling them on to other companies usually for a limited number of mailings.

If you responded to any of those mailings, the company involved could then, legitimately, use your details for further mailings and, if you didn't tick their box to opt out, sell the your details on to someone else.

Most companies who did sell name and address details checked that the people they were selling to were legitimate, and checks were included to make sure that the details were not used more often than had been agreed.

It looks as though someone in one or more charites/companies didn't do proper checks on who they were selling their data to, which is why his details wound up in the hands of con men. And of course once the con men get their hooks into someone they keep the con going until they have bled the victim dry.

[EcclesCake]

Wolf, he sent numerous cheques off to cover the admin costs for his prize of a new car. When I asked him where this fleet of new motors was he looked at me cock-eyed.

I attempted to tear up some of the mail and he went completely ballistic on me, very sad and extremely enfuriating.

[mikey4444]

Eccles....disturbing story about your Dad.

My Dad was a little like that. When he passed away, my brothers and I found huge amounts of mail-order clothes, that he had never worn....most of them still with the tickets on. And there were about 10 unopened M+S shirts in the bottom of his wardrobe !