If you have been approached by a person claiming to raise funds for UNICEF and you believe they might not be a genuine fundraiser, please contact the UNICEF Helpdesk on 0844 801 2414 or email helpdesk@unicef.org.uk with information on who approached you, how and when. Sadly fraudulent fundraising is not only affecting UNICEF – many other charities are also targeted by people who take advantage of generous supporters.
Below is a list of ways to identify a legitimate UNICEF fundraiser. All our fundraisers would be knowledgeable about UNICEF and have either a professional contract with UNICEF or have a letter of authority or badge identifying them as volunteer fundraisers.
Who might ask you for your bank details?
Our face-to-face fundraisers on the street will have a UNICEF-branded ID badge with the name and number of the fundraiser; they have information on the company that employs them and UNICEF contact details on them. They will be wearing a UNICEF T-shirt and/or jacket. They only collect direct debit information and will never ask for cash.
The UNICEF Helpdesk has a list of names of the fundraisers and the areas they are operating in. You can contact the Helpdesk on 0844 801 2414 or email helpdesk@unicef.org.uk to confirm their identity.
Who might ask you for cash donations?
Many of our volunteer fundraisers organise collections on streets or in private venues. They will be collecting cash and will never ask for bank details. They should have either a UNICEF letter of authority or a UNICEF badge; they will be knowledgeable about UNICEF and its work and be able explain how they are linked to UNICEF.
If they have collection cans or buckets these are cyan, white or possibly dark blue and these should have a sticker or label that clearly displays the UNICEF logo and the registered charity number. They occasionally register names and addresses if the donor agrees to sign up for campaigns or actions and they will be able to provide information on these. UNICEF holds records of all collection can and bucket orders.
Who might call you?
At times UNICEF may contact people by telephone to ask for support. If the caller is from a contracted professional telemarketing agency, at the start of the call you will always be told that you are being contacted on UNICEF’s behalf and the caller should also tell you they are being paid a small hourly wage for their time. If you want to support us but don’t like giving your details out over the phone all of our callers will be happy to send you a letter and a donation form in the post.
If the caller is a member of our in-house telemarketing team, they will also say they are calling from UNICEF and give a specific reason why they are calling. Their function is to promote our fundraising campaigns or ask for Gift Aid declarations and so they will have very detailed information about these. They will never ask for bank details. Lisa Stenning and Peter Brown are permanent members of the team. During busy periods we might contract temporary help, but Peter and Lisa will be available if you would like to check.
In both instances the caller will be knowledgeable about UNICEF and will be able to provide contact details to confirm if the call is genuine. In all cases you can contact the Helpdesk on 0844 801 2414 or at helpdesk@unicef.org.uk if you would like to confirm anyone’s identity.
Find out more about fraudulent emails.
