Don't leave charity donations outside, Suffolk residents told

Why it matters: Fraudsters are using the name of a genuine children's cancer charity to make bogus collection bags look legitimate, tricking residents into leaving donations outside – only for them to be stolen.

The details: A large number of empty bags were discovered dumped in rural hedges across Suffolk. The bags claimed to be in support of Be Child Cancer Aware, but the charity has confirmed it does not raise money through clothing collections, and the bags are not genuine.

The bags appear to have been delivered through letterboxes, encouraging residents to leave unwanted clothing and household items outside for collection. Suffolk Trading Standards is concerned that fraudsters may be using the bags to take advantage of people's generosity by collecting donations intended for charity.

Residents are urged to check any door-to-door collection independently before donating items, and, if in doubt, contact the charity via the details on its website to check a collection is genuine.

There are a number of other indicators of a legitimate collection:

• Genuine charity collection bags will usually state when the collection is due to take place.
• Collection vehicles should display the charity's branding.
• Collectors should be able to provide photo identification and contact details when asked.

What they're saying: Cllr June Mummery, Suffolk County Council's cabinet member for coastal affairs, communities and public health, said: "These crooks appear to be cashing in on people's kindness. They have used the name of a legitimate charity to make their collection bags look genuine and persuade residents to leave items outside – only for them to be stolen.

"Nobody wants their donation to end up in the hands of criminals. If you're clearing out unwanted clothes or items, please use a charity shop, official collection point or trusted recycling service. It's the safest way to ensure your donation does some good rather than helping criminals profit."

For context: Instead of leaving donations outside for collection, residents can donate unwanted items directly to charity shops, take them to official collection points or use authorised local recycling services. Textiles, including clothes, shoes, belts, bags, curtains and soft toys, can be reused, donated or recycled through a range of authorised services across Suffolk, with information available through Suffolk Recycling.

Anyone with information about suspicious collections can report it to Trading Standards on 0808 223 1133.

The bottom line: Fraudsters are exploiting Suffolk residents' generosity by posing as a legitimate charity, and the council is urging people to donate through trusted channels rather than leaving items outside their homes.

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