A new report, ‘The Unsettling Truth,’ published by the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland (COPNI) has revealed that 4% of respondents, the equivalent of 14,320 older people, had encountered problems in relation to their contributions to charity.
The survey of 1,000 people looked at the issue of financial abuse of older people. This included theft, withholding pension or benefits, and exerting pressure around wills, property or inheritance.
Two per cent said they were victims of a scam involving giving money to a bogus charity and 2% believed they may have been a victim of this kind of scam. 3% disclosed that they were persuaded to contribute beyond their means to churches or charities and a further 1% suspect that this had occurred.
Chief Charity Commissioner for Northern Ireland (CCNI), Tom McGrath, said the COPNI report was a sharp reminder to everyone of the need to undertake some simple checks when giving to charity.
Mr McGrath said:
“While incidents of fraudulent fundraising may be rare, they do occur, and they can have a devastating impact on people who believe they are giving to a good cause, only to find they have been scammed. They also have a damaging impact on public trust and confidence in the charity sector as a whole”.
Mr McGrath said it was important that everyone understands the basic checks they can take to ensure they are giving to a bona fide charity and what they can do if they believe they are contributing beyond their means.
Amongst the top ten giving tips provided by CCNI was to check if the charity was registered, try not to feel pressure to give a higher amount than you want, don’t give in to persistent requests for funding and to ask how the donation will be spent.
The report, Financial Abuse of Older People in Northern Ireland: The Unsettling Truth, can be downloaded in PDF from COPNI.
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