Singapore Red Cross warns against fundraising scams

The Singapore Red Cross Society (SRC) would like to bring to the attention of possible fundraising scams in Singapore.

On the evening of 14 May 2009, SRC was notified by members of the public about such scams taking place in various parts of Singapore. The individuals informed the organisation that they were misled into purchasing counterfeit digital watches by sellers who used the Singapore Red Cross emblem as a front for their activities. Additionally, they had informed the individuals that the proceeds from the sale will go to the SRC.

SRC mentioned that all its public street collection activities are accompanied with legitimate documentation authorised by the National Council of Social Services (NCSS). The license issued by the NCSS, signed and stamped with the official Red Cross logo will also include the name of the fundraiser (e.g. name of the volunteer), purpose of collection (e.g. raise funds for the Singapore Red Cross in aid of its local humanitarian services), nature of event and the period of collection. All fundraisers who participate in any fundraising activities must carry the license at all times for verification.

In addition, third-party entities collecting donations on behalf of the Society would require authorisation from the Singapore Police Force (SPF). The SRC states that it is currently not having any street collection and had not authorized anyone/organization to solicit funds on its behalf.

If suspicion should arise about the authenticity of the street collections, SRC advises the public to address this by requesting to see the collector’s certificate of authority, which is issued by the NCSS or the SPF. If they should have further concerns, the public may contact the fundraising division of the Singapore Red Cross at 6336-0269. ( Operating hours: Mon-Fri, 9am to 6pm )