Cinnamon Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 Ok, bear with me,long story. Yesterday I was in Reading shopping & as I came out of John Lewis I saw a 'chugger' approach a lady who was with her daughter. He asked her for a donation & she declined (as I would have too) He then said, 'well thats just rude, you must be foreign' I was so shocked & the lady in question was furious, & started giving this guy a mouthful,quite rightly. She was British it turned out, but had a kind of Spanish look to her. Anyhow, I wandered off, then decided to stop & tell her that I admired her for standing up to his abuse. We got chatting & as neither of us knew who he was collecting for I said I would wander back & get a leaflet from him. Well, he outright ignored me, so I approached and asked for one. He refused (he must have seen me talking to the other lady) & said he was recruiting for staff & I didn't match the profile (despite being around the same age,size & sex of others I had seen him approach). He kept the leaflets he had shoved hard in his pocket,but I spotted the word Amsterdam on them & he had a lanyard which said he was from 'The Happiness Foundation'. He moved on soon after. Anyhow, I Googled this charity & approached them of Facebook & not only have they only just set up, but they do not collect on the streets for their charity. So this guy was using their name on a fake lanyard to gain credibility - goodness knows what he has done with any money he got! The charity have contacted the Police , so I am waiting to see if they contact me too. Another person has also written on their Facebook wall about being abused by him - I am not sure if it is the same woman I spoke to or not. So, it just goes to show that even if they look official, you can never really tell if a chugger is legitimate or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 thats shocking its a good job you were there, I bet the other lady felt really intimidated I hope they sort it out soon cathy x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 Well done for following up on your instincts . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 Maybe the shops will have caught his image on their CCTV? Worth asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 Good grief Well done you for challenging him and also taking the time to suss out his credentials - or lack of! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 Well done for following up with it Sarah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 Great intervention, sometimes your gut can serve you well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
