Conman’s charity sting goes down the Tube as radio DJ Caroline Feraday turns detective

 
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Maxine Frith5 December 2012
WEST END FINAL

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Radio presenter Caroline Feraday has warned commuters not to be conned by bogus charity collectors on the Tube after she used her mobile phone to catch one fraudster in the act.

The BBC London DJ was travelling on the Northern line between Leicester Square and Clapham South one afternoon last week when a man boarded the train and began asking passengers for money, claiming he was collecting for a teenage cancer charity.

Feraday, 35, said: “He had all these permits strung around his neck and he looked quite official so people were opening up their purses and putting money in his bucket.

“I was a bit suspicious because I hadn’t heard of the charity he said he was collecting for and I was pretty sure you’re not allowed to collect on the Tube, so I took a picture of him on my phone.

“I did a bit of a research and contacted London Underground and it turned out he was bogus.

“It’s just sickening; it’s Christmas. People like to be generous and who isn’t going to give money to teenagers with cancer? What makes it so awful is that those people have been conned, but also sick children won’t get any of that money.

“London Underground have been great but people really need to know that this is going on and don’t give money to anyone who says they’re collecting on a train.” She reported the fraud to British Transport Police and Transport for London.

A spokeswoman for TfL said: “Any charitable organisation wanting to collect at one of our stations needs to go through a strict screening process.

“As in this case, if customers suspect fraudulent activity they should report it to a member of staff or the BTP so that it can be investigated.

“There are many legitimate charities who collect on our stations and we would hope that the actions of the few do not mar their efforts.”

London Underground does not allow any collections on trains or platforms and fundraisers are only allowed to stand in the ticket hall area of stations. Legitimate collectors are also required to display a valid permit identifying them as an approved organisation.

Both British Transport Police and TfL said that this was NOT an incident of a legitimate charity breaking the rules on collecting but an individual person posing as a fundraiser.

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