To wonder why people go so low to steal from a charity?

dottypotter · 2022-08-29T10:02:01+00:00

Just reading about a local charity shop being burgled and another one who had the lead stolen from its roof? Why do people go so low and steal from people who are only trying to help others in need? How do they know they won't need help from a charity one day? How low can people go? Is a conscience missing with some people?

Keyansier · 29/08/2022 11:12

Mostly out of their minds on drugs, not sure that conscience (or lack of) plays a massive part in it. I doubt most of them even know what kind of shop they are breaking into, other than hoping it has valuables.

SavoirFlair · 29/08/2022 11:16

yes, some people do unconscionable things..,

yellowsmileyface · 29/08/2022 11:46

I used to volunteer for a charity shop and it surprised and saddened me how much of a problem theft was.

Part of the problem is it's an easy target for shoplifters, as there's no security, and as it's run mostly by volunteers, meaning that during busy times it's usually very understaffed, and the staff that are present are usually quite inexperienced.

I've also had people try the quick change scam whilst I was on the till. Fortunately I was wise to the scam but I couldn't believe people would stoop that low.

girlfriend44 · 29/08/2022 17:12

yellowsmileyface · 29/08/2022 11:46

I used to volunteer for a charity shop and it surprised and saddened me how much of a problem theft was.

Part of the problem is it's an easy target for shoplifters, as there's no security, and as it's run mostly by volunteers, meaning that during busy times it's usually very understaffed, and the staff that are present are usually quite inexperienced.

I've also had people try the quick change scam whilst I was on the till. Fortunately I was wise to the scam but I couldn't believe people would stoop that low.

What's the quick change scam?

Wouldloveanother · 29/08/2022 17:15

Because some people are scumbags.

Lockheart · 29/08/2022 17:23

Because some people are desperate, some people are addicts, and some people just don't care. It's the same with any theft. This isn't a difficult question.

Ziggyisthebestdogintheworld · 29/08/2022 17:25

I heard someone say it’s because the charity shops ‘get it all for free so won’t miss it-I need xyz more than them’
doesnt make stealing right,but it’s what they thought

TimeFlysWhenYoureHavingRum · 29/08/2022 17:27

Yanbu. I've seen people rifling through bags of donations left outside charity shops and taking all the good stuff they can find.
Despicable behaviour (and a reason not to leave donations outside if the shop is closed).

Lockheart · 29/08/2022 17:29

Ziggyisthebestdogintheworld · 29/08/2022 17:25

I heard someone say it’s because the charity shops ‘get it all for free so won’t miss it-I need xyz more than them’
doesnt make stealing right,but it’s what they thought

Pretty much. If you desperately need e.g. a winter coat for your child or shoes for yourself but you have no money then you might justify shoplifting from a charity shop by telling yourself that they get it for free, that they're there to help the poor, so it's not really stealing since you're poor and they're there to help you etc etc...

EmeraldShamrock1 · 29/08/2022 17:31

A few reasons addiction, greed, desperation, mh issues.

Lockheart · 29/08/2022 17:33

TimeFlysWhenYoureHavingRum · 29/08/2022 17:27

Yanbu. I've seen people rifling through bags of donations left outside charity shops and taking all the good stuff they can find.
Despicable behaviour (and a reason not to leave donations outside if the shop is closed).

TBH if things are fly-tipped on the street I can't get angry about people going through them. At that point they're dumped rubbish, they don't belong to anyone, even if they're obviously intended for the charity shop. But yes, donations should never be left at a closed shop!

ParsleyPesto · 29/08/2022 17:34

You are overthinking it. No one thinks, “Oh I will choose a charity to steal from”, they just want stuff/money and try the place of least resistance. No point getting all morose about it, better to help the shop improve security.

ThanksAntsThants · 29/08/2022 17:45

Some people are just scumbags. I am a Samaritan, you’d be surprised how many calls we get off blokes having a wank. I’d say 30-40% of the calls I take are sex calls. Sometimes I can do a whole shift and get nothing but sex calls, in fact it’s not unusual. My experience is typical for female Samaritans. The blokes don’t tend to get the sex calls, the perverts just put the phone down. If you think, 30-40% of the calls are sex calls, and that’s not even taking into consideration the other Missuse calls we get, that’s a lot of volunteers’ time taken up with people effectively stealing and clogging up the phone lines for those who do need it. I looked at the dashboard last time I was on shift, just an ordinary early evening, and there was a wait of over six minutes to get through, and still these cunts ring up for a bit of telephone flashing. They disgust me.

yellowsmileyface · 30/08/2022 10:54

@girlfriend44 the quick change scam is when someone pays for a small item with a large bill, then distracts and confuses the cashier into giving them more change than they're owed. They'll pick busy times and insist they're in a hurry to put pressure on the cashier. Anyone volunteering in a charity shop should be aware of this scam.

@ThanksAntsThants that's really awful. I've heard a lot of women don't make it past the first day for that reason. Good on you for sticking with it. Must be really tough.

girlfriend44 · 30/08/2022 13:54

ThanksAntsThants · 29/08/2022 17:45

Some people are just scumbags. I am a Samaritan, you’d be surprised how many calls we get off blokes having a wank. I’d say 30-40% of the calls I take are sex calls. Sometimes I can do a whole shift and get nothing but sex calls, in fact it’s not unusual. My experience is typical for female Samaritans. The blokes don’t tend to get the sex calls, the perverts just put the phone down. If you think, 30-40% of the calls are sex calls, and that’s not even taking into consideration the other Missuse calls we get, that’s a lot of volunteers’ time taken up with people effectively stealing and clogging up the phone lines for those who do need it. I looked at the dashboard last time I was on shift, just an ordinary early evening, and there was a wait of over six minutes to get through, and still these cunts ring up for a bit of telephone flashing. They disgust me.

Thats horrible, bet their mums are proud of them (not)

OneTC · 30/08/2022 13:58

People that steal, steal. Often for reasons, sometimes because it's just what they do. They don't view it as wrong in the same way you do. The target of the theft isn't relevant. No one is more or less deserving of having their own stuff stolen, although some can bear it better than others

Wouldloveanother · 30/08/2022 13:59

girlfriend44 · 30/08/2022 13:54

Thats horrible, bet their mums are proud of them (not)

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And their dads, presumably.

Choconut · 30/08/2022 13:59

ThanksAntsThants · 29/08/2022 17:45

Some people are just scumbags. I am a Samaritan, you’d be surprised how many calls we get off blokes having a wank. I’d say 30-40% of the calls I take are sex calls. Sometimes I can do a whole shift and get nothing but sex calls, in fact it’s not unusual. My experience is typical for female Samaritans. The blokes don’t tend to get the sex calls, the perverts just put the phone down. If you think, 30-40% of the calls are sex calls, and that’s not even taking into consideration the other Missuse calls we get, that’s a lot of volunteers’ time taken up with people effectively stealing and clogging up the phone lines for those who do need it. I looked at the dashboard last time I was on shift, just an ordinary early evening, and there was a wait of over six minutes to get through, and still these cunts ring up for a bit of telephone flashing. They disgust me.

God I had no idea, that is absolutely disgusting. Well done on doing an amazing thing despite those vile men.

OneTC · 30/08/2022 14:01

ThanksAntsThants · 29/08/2022 17:45

Some people are just scumbags. I am a Samaritan, you’d be surprised how many calls we get off blokes having a wank. I’d say 30-40% of the calls I take are sex calls. Sometimes I can do a whole shift and get nothing but sex calls, in fact it’s not unusual. My experience is typical for female Samaritans. The blokes don’t tend to get the sex calls, the perverts just put the phone down. If you think, 30-40% of the calls are sex calls, and that’s not even taking into consideration the other Missuse calls we get, that’s a lot of volunteers’ time taken up with people effectively stealing and clogging up the phone lines for those who do need it. I looked at the dashboard last time I was on shift, just an ordinary early evening, and there was a wait of over six minutes to get through, and still these cunts ring up for a bit of telephone flashing. They disgust me.

Jesus Christ

illiterato · 30/08/2022 14:03

I used to be an auditor and do pro-bono for charities. Fraud and theft by employees was actually pretty high, more so than for normal businesses, basically because there's no paper trail for money coming in so easier to steal it. This was back in the day when random donations by cheque or cash weren't uncommon. Because there was no associated invoice, without really good controls it was easy for whoever opened the post to pilfer it and there would be no way to tell that money ever existed. There was one case where a guy set up a bank account in a name that was similar to a well known charity and then changed the payee name on donation cheques and stole them- he stole quite a lot- thousands of pounds. Now the controls are much better and most donors use cashless payment methods anyway. But the bottom line was that where there's opportunity, you get theft.

RockAndRollerskate · 30/08/2022 14:07

I am involved with a charity and we’ve also had volunteers bags stolen. We’ve had the locks superglued and random vandalism too

illiterato · 30/08/2022 14:18

Oh yeah- the other thing is that default on fundraising pledges was really high and charities don't have the time or resources to chase people down for that- e.g. if people took a charity London marathon place and then didn't hand over the fundraising money (either because they never raised it, or they raised it and pocketed it).

girlfriend44 · 30/08/2022 15:24

Wouldloveanother · 30/08/2022 13:59

And their dads, presumably.

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yes their dads too.

Supersimkin2 · 30/08/2022 15:37

Stuff left outside a charity shop is flytipping and will get the charity fined - anyone who removes it is doing everyone a favour.

LodiDodi · 22/08/2023 19:56

ThanksAntsThants · 29/08/2022 17:45

Some people are just scumbags. I am a Samaritan, you’d be surprised how many calls we get off blokes having a wank. I’d say 30-40% of the calls I take are sex calls. Sometimes I can do a whole shift and get nothing but sex calls, in fact it’s not unusual. My experience is typical for female Samaritans. The blokes don’t tend to get the sex calls, the perverts just put the phone down. If you think, 30-40% of the calls are sex calls, and that’s not even taking into consideration the other Missuse calls we get, that’s a lot of volunteers’ time taken up with people effectively stealing and clogging up the phone lines for those who do need it. I looked at the dashboard last time I was on shift, just an ordinary early evening, and there was a wait of over six minutes to get through, and still these cunts ring up for a bit of telephone flashing. They disgust me.

Makes you think the wanky ones ironically probably would do everyone a favour by dying