Headway The Brain Injury Association has reported new cases of attempted fraud in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Surrey.
Individuals have been knocking on doors in the regions and claiming they work for Headway in an attempt to collect donations for “their brain injured child”.
Jamie Miller, CEO of Oxford Head Injury Services, made an official statement and said “We have received reports of individuals who are posing as Headway staff and volunteers, and are attempting to collect door-to-door donations. Those approached described the individual as a male, in his thirties and having a Headway identification badge. I would like to be explicit, in that Oxford Head Injury Services do not engage in door-to-door collections. If you are approached by anyone in this manner, please inform us or the police immediately”.
Sharelle Holdsworth, Marketing and Events Officer said: “Donations are vital to our charity continuing to provide support to those affected by brain injury. Following the cancellation of many events due to Covid-19, we anticipate a loss of approximately 40% of our annual income. It is important that funds are going to charity and not into the pocket of scammers.
“There are several ways that you can spot a if a charity collector is genuine. Genuine collectors will carry official documents. Always ask to see the documentation, including the charities registration number and the collector’s official identification badge and permit. You can also check to see if the collection bucket is sealed. It is illegal to make charity collections from open buckets. If still in doubt, ask for details of how to make an online donation instead”.
Visit https://oxfordheadinjuryservices.org.uk for more information.
