Two recent, unrelated incidents prompts public warning
CALGARY – The Missing Children Society of Canada (MCSC) is warning the public today after receiving two separate inquiries from concerned Canadians about suspicious individuals who claimed to be collecting donations door-to-door on the organization’s behalf.
The first incident occurred in late June where an individual in Edmonton, Alberta was selling magazines door-to-door, allegedly on behalf of MCSC. In an unrelated incident less than a week later, a “young child” in Windsor, Ontario was reported to be selling boxes of chocolates door-to-door in support of MCSC.
In both situations, MCSC was contacted by concerned individuals who were suspicious about the activities. Their instincts proved to be correct. The organization does not conduct any door-to-door sales or donation solicitations.
“We would like to thank those individuals for contacting us with their concerns and bringing these incidents to our attention,” expressed Amanda Pick, Executive Director of MCSC.
“In these tight economic times, we know how important every dollar is to our organization – just as every dollar is being stretched in family homes across the country. We feel it is extremely important to let the public know about these incidents, and to ask all Canadians to make informed choices when they generously donate funds to charitable organizations.”
There are a number of tips to keep in mind to avoid fraud when making a charitable donation. For example, it is advisable to write cheques payable to the charity, not to an individual, or to make online payments through a secure website.
MCSC is asking the public to continue to contact them with any concerns or questions about the organization’s fundraising activities.