Get Safe Online has collaborated with the Charity Commission to launch two new information and advice pages, to be found by clicking here.
Charity fraud is increasing at a substantial rate, and the internet has given more criminals the opportunity to defraud ever large numbers of people. They do so via phishing emails, bogus websites and malware resulting from careless use of payment pages … such as poor passwords and not checking that the site is secure. Their methods are becomng more sophisticated and their scams more convincing.
The new page on donating safely online provides comprehensive yet easy to follow information on how to spot and avoid such scams, and what to do if you become a victim of them.
The site also now features guidance of Trustees and employees of charities of the some 160,000 registered charities in the UK. The new page provides one location for guidance on online fraud awareness, prevention and reporting, together with links to relevant information on the Charity Commission's website. It is accessible from the 'Donating to Charity Online' page.
Teams from the two organisations worked together closely to review the information which resides in various areas of the Charity Commission's website, using it as a basis for the content together with information in the Business section of getsafeonline.org. The project had the buy-in of the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, the Fund Raising Standards Board and the Institute of Fundraising.
Speaking at the launch of the new section at the Voluntary Sector Fraud Stakeholder Group meeting in London today, Get Safe Online's Tim Mitchell said: "Get Safe Online comes at fraud from the prevention – and specifically the awareness angle. Whether preventing fraud or pursuing fraudsters, close co-operation is required between different organisations and this initiative is an excellent example of such co-operation." He added: "We are pleased to have had the opportunity to work with the Charity Commission and are grateful for their input."
