The Charity Commission has published advice to anyone making charitable donations as a result of any humanitarian crisis such as the East African famine.
If you are a money transmitter there are certain steps you should take to ensure that money intended to support a crisis does not find its way into the wrong hands.
You should use the usual risk based approach and customer due diligence measures that apply when an individual is sending their own money to family members, a relief organisation or a charity
If money collected by a charity or religious organisation is being sent we recommend that you do the following:
Charity Commission website (Opens new window)
If you find the organisation is not on the register you may still carry out the transaction but first you should check that the money is not for terrorist financing or the proceeds of crime. For example you could ask how the money was collected and who it is being sent to. If you are not satisfied that it is genuine donation report it as a suspicious activity to the Serious Organised Crime Agency.
Money laundering - report suspicious transaction or activity
Advice from the Charity Commission when making donations to humanitarian appeals.
Possible Pakistan appeals scams (Opens new window)
Commission gives safe giving advice for Ramadhan (Opens new window)
Give safely to East Africa Crisis appeals (Opens new window)
