FRAUDSTERS claiming to be from the borough council and raising money for food banks are targeting homes and businesses.

Swindon Food Collective has been receiving calls from the public, shops and pubs as far afield as Cricklade, Ramsbury, Hungerford and Lechlade about the tricksters.

Manager Cher Smith said: “It’s absolutely shocking because they’re preying on people’s goodwill and if something goes wrong it’s our reputation.”

“We’re being told it’s young women going around. The form is badly written and so is the grammar. It’s so sad especially during a pandemic when people want to help charities.”

“I don’t even know how we’re going to stop them so we’re asking people to be alert and call us if they’re unsure.”

She explained: “We don’t do the door-to-door collections and we never have done. We certainly would never go into pubs because you have to have a licence, which we would have if at an event like Town football or Pride.”

“It’s easy to take a picture nowadays, if they’re walking towards you or away try to take it and get it to us or the police and help us catch them.”

She added: “There are secure sites for donating but otherwise we would have a uniform, lanyard and dedicated charity number."

The sponsorship form, written in a single sentence and bearing the old Swindon Foodbank and the borough council logos, says: "As part of Swindon borough council we are proposing to help out the food bank all over England who is struggling after all there help during the pandemic we are not the only town taking part in this there are multiple town all over England helping out and in return of everyone's help we are going to have youth club all over England in selected towns..."

A council spokesman said: “We know that scammers will take advantage of current issues, such as the increased need for food banks during the Covid pandemic, as a way into stealing from good, honest people.”

“People should always be very wary about opening the door to unknown callers and our advice is never hand over money or payment details at the door.

“It is incredibly easy to fake documents and ID so these should never be taken at face value. If in doubt keep the door closed and report your concerns to Wiltshire Police on 101.”

“Charities such as Swindon Food Collective depend on the public’s generosity but the Swindon Food Collective does not collect door-to-door - you can donate food at many local shops and organisations and it’s easy to donate funds through your bank or by sending a cheque.”

A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: “It’s worrying to hear about these incidents and it goes without saying that preying on people’s sympathy on false pretences and using it for personal gain is truly despicable.”

“Of course there are many legitimate charity collectors fundraising for good causes and every pound given to a scam charity is a pound less that can be donated to a worthy and reputable cause, so it’s important that people follow our advice when giving to charity.”

How to spot the signs of a fake charity collector

· Their promotional material or website may be badly written or have spelling mistakes.

· The charity collector might be vague about what the charity does or is fundraising for.

· They might be aggressive or try to pressure you into donating.

· They could use topical events such as a natural disaster as an excuse for their charity only being created recently.

How to protect yourself

· Ask – genuine charity collectors will be more than happy to give you more information about the cause and answer your questions about where your money is going.

· Check – they should have a registered charity number, you can check this through the Charity Commission. They should also have a license if they are collecting in a public place.

· Go direct – if you are in doubt, contact the charity yourself and check (do not use the details provided to you be the collector).

· Take your time ¬– don’t feel pressured to donate then and there. Take your time to think it over and you can donate directly to the charity at a later time.