Warning – Scam claiming to be collecting for women’s refuge

Warning – Scam claiming to be collecting for women’s refuge

By Aimee Walsh

PEOPLE have been warned of a scam going around locally in which people are falsely claiming to be collecting for a women’s refuge.

Saoirse Women’s Refuge in Tallaght have warned the public of ‘bogus charity collectors’ who are claiming to fundraise going from door to door in Firhouse and Tallaght.

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Saoirse Women’s Refuge has issued a ‘bogus charity collectors’ warning

Outreach and Prevention Manager of Saoirse, Nadine O’Brien, spoke to The Echo about the scam.

“A woman and a few of her children are going around knocking on doors in Carriglea in Firhouse and different areas of Tallaght. It gets reported to us via our Instagram account, the women are saying that they are seeking donations for Saoirse.

“We don’t fundraise door to door. There is still a level of exploitation or need there if a woman feels that she needs to knock on doors for support in the name of Saoirse, so it is a little bit of a double-edged sword so to speak.

“We don’t know whether the woman herself is being exploited, or if there is a male coercing her or if there is a poverty need there.

“There are different women collecting in the name of Saoirse [which it isn’t] and it is a crime.”

Nadine explained that this particular scam was reported over a week ago but has happened in the past also.

“This is an ongoing occurrence. When someone reached out on social media, it was like here we go again.

“It happens every couple of months and then it dies off again, this isn’t just a one-off, this is an repeat issue that peaks in waves.

“People will reach out and report it on Instagram or ring our service and let us know that there’s a woman going around saying that she is collecting for Saoirse Women’s refuge.

“The last account we got from a home-owner was that the woman was asking can that family help her because she is staying in Saoirse Women’s Refuge, and we are not helping her.”

Nadine said that these bogus collectors are effecting the “credibility” of their service and by claiming to be residents with Saoirse they are in a way “defaming” the women’s refuge.

Saoirse have encouraged anyone that encounters these false charity collectors to report it to their local Garda station.

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