Two scams involving bogus charity collection Bags have taken place recently in the Melbourne region.
The Bags resembling those of the Wesley Mission and the Smith Family were used to dupe householders into giving items of used clothing to firms which shipped them overseas for sale.
Fake collections are often conducted at times of year such as Christmas, when the public is aware that real charities are asking for used clothing donations.
15,000 tonnes of clothing is believed to have been exported this financial year. A court case involving one of the offending companies revealed that a container of the clothes could be sold in Papua New Guinea for approximately $15,000.
The clothing, which often includes designer-label items, is sorted overseas by poorly-paid workers. The clothes are then sold in Asia, the Pacific, Africa and the Middle East.
The article detailed the results of an investigation by Fairfax Media which found that bogus donation bins have also been used by the exporters. The Bags are often placed in locations close to those used by genuine charities. The bins and Bags frequently have a paragraph of fine Print declaring that the collection is a commercial venture, but few people take the trouble to read it.
Local police forces and charities are able to work with local printing companies to raise awareness amongst the local community. Techniques such as flyer printing and poster printing are particularly useful, especially when the end products are eye catching and informative.
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