Now charities watchdog backs Mail exposé of cold call sharks
A DAILY Mail investigation that exposed how four of Britain’s biggest charities hounded elderly victims for cash is today fully vindicated in an official report.
Charities regulator the Fundraising Standards Board found that the British Red Cross, Macmillan, NSPCC and Oxfam were all in breach of industry standards after a review of the Mail’s exposé.
Last summer, our undercover reporter infiltrated call centres run by the fundraising company GoGen and exposed the outrageous tactics used to raise money. It revealed how ‘boiler room’ tactics were used to target the elderly and vulnerable and to take money from people with dementia.
The FRSB report said monitoring procedures were ‘not sufficient or adequately carried out’ to keep tabs on how GoGen was carrying out telephone fundraising campaigns. More seriously, Macmillan and the British Red Cross were found to have breached industry guidelines by not telling their supporters how they were going to use their contact information. The FSB found GoGen had breached the ban on targeting the vulnerable – such as people with dementia – to try to secure a donation. Officials also said it broke rules by teaching fundraisers ‘pressurising techniques’ to elicit cash.
The Mail’s exposé led to new laws to regulate the sector after David Cameron branded the practices unacceptable. The FRSB said each of the charities had implemented ‘significant changes’ since the summer including ‘closer monitoring’ of fundraising agencies. New methods include more spot checks, the use of mystery shoppers and listening in to calls.
FRSB chairman Andrew Hind says: ‘ Working with telephone fundraising agencies can be an important way for charities to reach out to new and existing supporters, but it is essential that any fundraising activity meets standards laid out in the Code of Fundraising Practice.
‘While this investigation outlines a number of failings at the agency, ultimate responsibility rests with charities for the conduct of any third-party agencies.
‘We welcome the significant actions each charity has undertaken to ensure better monitoring and supervision procedures.’
Changes to fundraising rules prompted by the Mail probe include a ‘right to be left alone’. A new regulator will ban charities from contacting anyone on the list if they have opted out of calls or junk mail. It would give people who feel deluged by requests access to a ‘reset button’ allowing them to put a stop to further demands for cash.
Such practices were thrust into the spotlight last year after the death of 92-year-old Olive Cooke, one of Britain’s longest-serving poppy sellers. Her family described how she had received repeated requests from charities for donations, with up to 267 letters a month, as well as regular phone calls from fundraisers
The new set of regulations will be monitored by the Charity Commission.