Scam?

[Tissy]

I know all about the "rich African needs to use your bank account" scams, but I've just received a hand-written appeal for school fees purporting to be from a 15 year old girl in Uganda. It contains a newspaper article about her "uncle" who was mauled by a crocodile and therefore unable to support her family, and a copy of a school report. I've no idea how she can have got hold of my address. Anyone else received a similar letter? Am I being heartless chucking it in the bin?

haven't received anything, but it really has to be a scam. Why not give some money to Save the Children instead to ease your consience?

Makes me wonder where they got your address!
If you want to make a difference - sponsor a child, that way you help them AND their community. I do this through PLAN INternational.

Have you thought about handing it on to some authority who may be able to check it out and maybe even stop them conning anyone else? A little idealistic of me I know but worth a thought. If you phoned your local police station they may be able to suggest a route of action. I know that binning it would be an easy option (and sensible) but passing it on may do some good in a different way. People out there are constantly making a fortune out of kind hearted, trusting people and it should be stopped.

Bin it Tissy - cowardly I know but it must be stopped.

I second the Save The Children idea. I give to both STC and the NSPCC by direct debit every month because I found myself feeling sad and helpless about all the children's suffering in the world and wanted to do something that would make me feel better. Yes, I know that's a selfish reason, but it works and I feel much better about turning other things down.

i had someone come to my door moths ago saying he was from some charity or other and saying he had a letter from out residents association supporting him, i said that was rather strange as i was a member of the committee and i hadnt heard anything, he changed it to the housing trust, i said well as it happens i work for them and i havent heard anything, he scarpered. i phoned said charity and reported it, they said i should report it to the police, i did. they just said how were they supposed to do anything i should have reported it at the time, i said fair comment but just letting you know incase it happens again!! arrgh!

Tissy it does sound like a scam and I don't think you are heartless.
Several people in the south of Glasgow were caught out last year by a quite respectable looking man who claimed he was diabetic and his car had broken down and he needed to borrow £20 for a taxi home as he needed to get to his insulin shot, offerering to leave his watch as a deposit.
I know this sounds obviously dodgy when you see it written down, but he was very convincing, shaking and sweating. He came into our workplace, and I was very nearly taken in, but as we are next door to a pharmacy I called his bluff and told him I was friends with the pharmacist and I would go and get him some insulin. He hung around for a few minutes then legged it down the street.
I told the story to a friend the following week and it turned out the same gut had rung her doorbell the previous wekeend at midnight and her husband phoned him a taxi and gave him £20.

Tissy - have definitely read about this school fees appeal scam in the press. The worst thing is, some of the kids who are writing the letters are also conned into believing they will get financial help. Of course, all donations are collected by the conmen.