Britain has raised over £23 million towards providing aid in Haiti.

According to the Charity Commission monies intended for this purpose have been fraudulently obtained by the unscrupulous. Criminals have set up fictitious appeal websites, created dummy sites using the names of genuine charities or been using official looking collecting tins. This is not a new phenomenon. After any major disaster some will take advantage of the goodwill and generosity of others. The Charity Commission, the body which regulates charities in England has issued some advice:

  • Double check a charity on the commission’s register which is found on its website: www.charity-commission.gov.uk
  • Send a cheque (not cash) with a covering letter to the head office of your chosen charity.
  • Even if they look and sound plausible, avoid giving to street collectors.

Running the main Haiti appeal are the Disasters and Emergency Committee (DEC) which is an umbrella group comprising 13 major UK based charities. The DEC can be reached on their website www.dec.org.uk . The switchboard number is 0207 387 0200. Their office address is DEC Secretariat, 1st Floor, 43 Charlton Street, London, NW1 1DU.