Reading Voluntary Action has issued a formal fraud alert after local charities and community groups in Reading reported receiving emails from individuals attempting to sell contact lists. The organisation, which supports over 1,000 local voluntary groups, confirmed on 6 May 2026 that these offers are a scam.
The fraudulent emails are being sent from various generic email addresses. These messages claim to provide access to a mailing list of contacts associated with the charity, but the organisation has clarified that it does not sell its contact information.
According to the charity, the contact details mentioned in the scam are already available to the public through the Organisation Directory on their website. This directory was created with the explicit permission of the organisations listed to help people connect with local community services.
The Charity Commission for England and Wales has previously warned that charities are often targets for these types of phishing attempts. They urge trustees and staff to remain vigilant against suspicious communications.
Anyone who receives such an email is encouraged to report it to the Report Fraud service at reportfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. The charity has expressed its gratitude to the members of the public who first identified the scam and brought it to their attention.
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