Kids Safe Campaign Scam

wary

Just had another of these calls.

Don't know whether it was the same company or the same supposed scheme. But I recognised his opening spiel, which was to thank me for supporting their campaign back in March and how it had been a great success ...

When he realised I was fully aware of this scam having already received such calls, he claimed that he'd dialled the wrong number, even though he'd specifically referred to my company by name, and couldn't wait to get off the phone!

trisontana

I have heard another variant of this scam. This time it's a wall poster promoting the Blood-Transfusion Service. The trader is asked to pay over £200 to advertise on this poster which just features the phone-number of the BTS but is not endorsed or recommended by them. I have heard that usually only 100 of these posters are ever published.

trisontana

News of yet another of these scams. This time it's the so-called "Drug Awareness Campaign". As you can see from this Mirror Article they have just been censured by the ASA. And (surprise, surprise) they are also based in the North-West of England:-

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/2008/10/project-safe-child-dodgy-offic.html

grpics

I have just been contacted by a woman who thanked me for my support of their Drug Awareness brochure which has just been distributed to a few local schools. She was now contacting local businesses to collect a fee of £169! When I assured her that I had never agreed to anything she claimed that her records showed that I agreed in a phone call earlier in the year.
I hope they send me an invoice now, as we are rather short of toilet paper.

trisontana

Here is a recent Daily Mirror article about a similar company:-

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/2009/06/telling-silence-from-platinum.html#comments

Gingernutmeg

My mum's had another couple of these since I last posted. There's been the Drug Awareness booklets, the booklets to 'support the Police' and a diary which allegedly supports the Air Ambulance service. Again, she's just said no and eventually the calls stop, although they are getting increasingly nasty - the Air Ambulance one was especially bad. Can't remember the name of the company in that case but I seem to remember they were based in Tameside.

I really don't know how these people sleep at night. Using the names of legitimate charities that do a good job just to scam a few pounds off people is pretty damn sick, if you ask me, and there really ought to be more punishment for those who perpetrate these scams.

Flutterbee

Very relieved to have found this forum, we have been duped by the same scam. I'm currently on the phone to Trading Standards in Manchester and have also invovled the police. Time the con was stopped.

hollydays

Even as we speak a company that produces similar publications/directories which are low circulation and free and sell expensive advertising space, are posting on mse.http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2009569

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=25972283#post25972283

Adleader publications of Belfast, BT8 6NG..some might call it creative advertising..

nemesis99

Again a scam targeting small businesses.

This is much the same as "Centrepoint" (impersonating a real charity), "React Publications" and "Perfect Principles" all together working out of post box addresses in and around Manchester. Could be some of the same people, some of the voices are the same.

Kidsafe is impersonating the real Kidsafe charity.

Go to trading standards, go to the police, do not pay up.