This ‘anti-bullying charity’ badgers me regularly now

Ms D.P. writes: I received a phone call, asking me to donate to the Children’s Information Centre, to pay for anti-bullying booklets. At the time, my son was being bullied and I agreed to donate, with booklets sent to my chosen school. A few months later, I was called again, telling me I had not yet paid. This was during a Covid lockdown and I was not in a good place, so I paid again. Recently, I was called and told my third payment was now due. I insisted I had only agreed to pay once, but I was told the printing had already been done, and stupidly I paid. Now I have found that the school has not received any booklets at all.

THIS is a scam based on false impressions and false claims. It behaves like a charity, but in fact it is a commercial enterprise designed to make profits. Its proper name is Kids Information Centre Ltd and, although it uses an address in London, its base is Ashtonunder-Lyne in Greater Manchester.

I sounded the alarm over this ripoff in August last year, and it dropped out of sight. It seems to have emerged again a couple of months ago.

It claims: ‘With thousands of free classroom activity ideas, downloadable resources, and display photos, our library is a brilliant resource for lesson planning inspiration.’

And, impressively, it advertises that it has partnered with World Book Day and the Royal Geographical Society.

Less impressively, these are false claims, misusing the names and reputations of genuine organisations. A spokesman for World Book Day told me: ‘World Book Day has absolutely no connection with Kids Information Centre Ltd.’

The Royal Geographical Society has no connection either, let alone a partnership deal.

In fact, the only activity I have seen from Kids Information Centre Ltd is the production of cheap booklets giving basic advice about bullying, fire safety, road safety, and keeping out of trouble online.

I say cheap, but you were invoiced for £169. I understand this was so 100 copies of the booklet could be sent to the school you nominated. The calls you received afterwards, claiming you had not paid, and that you had placed a repeat order, are standard practice for tricksters.

Company records show that the man behind Kids Information Centre is 26-year-old Paul Chalmers. I asked him for a copy of whatever contract he believed entitled him to three payments from you.

I also requested details of the schools that should have benefited. And I invited him to explain why he was using the names and logos of genuine organisations such as World Book Day. Chalmers offered no answers, no explanations and no comments.

Report this to the police. Show them this report and tell them I will happily co-operate in any investigation.

Bullying people into paying for booklets about bullying, and then failing even to come up with the goods is unacceptable.