Top Ten Scams of the Decade #9
Today we continue the daily countdown of the top ten scams of the 2000s (aka ‘the naughties’ aka ‘the aughties’ aka ‘the zeros’)
Number Nine: Charity Muggers
The last ten years have been plagued with disasters and tragedies. 9/11, the Asian tsunami, the Victorian bush fires, the war in Iraq etc.
With each of these events, charity drives ensue to raise cash for victims. Red Cross have raised record funds for various campaigns.
Sadly, at the same time, con artists also use these events to make a little money.
When Steven Irwin died, people started going door to door to collect for his wildlife charity, pocketing the money themselves.
But the new millenium also saw the rise of the entirely legal yet extraordinarily scam like Charity Muggers, employed sales people who ambush people in the street, pressuring them to sign up to monthly donations.
What many victims don’t know is that the sales person and their marketing company employer take up to 90% of the money donated.
Many of the Charity Muggers are evasive when you ask them exactly how they get paid.
The question is, if a charity has to choose between getting a small cut of a scam or getting nothing, which one should they choose?
Tomorrow: Scam #8 - Phishing, Spear Phishing and Vishing,