OAP conned out of £35,000 after Shropshire-based charity sold his details
A pensioner was swindled out of nearly £35,000 after the Shropshire-based People's Dispensary for Sick Animals sold his details which were then passed to 10 different organisations.
Samuel Rae, an 87-year-old retired army officer who suffers with Alzheimer's disease, was contacted 731 times by charities after filling out a lifestyle survey in 1994.
The PDSA, which has its head office in Telford, contacted Mr Rae 275 times and sold his details a broker which passed them on to 10 separate organisations, according to an investigation by a national newspaper.
One of the organisations which bought Mr Rae's details from the broker was the Prize Winner's Club, a company which has been the subject of court action over its letters which target the elderly.
Mr Rae's son Chris, 56, only realised what had been going on when he discovered his father's front room was stuffed with hundreds of scam letters and boxes of worthless goods, which Mr Rae had been persuaded to buy after being promised he would receive a large cash prize.
Chris said: "I'm just appalled and deeply shocked. It is a horrific insight into what can happen when you forget – as we all sometimes do – to tick a box in the small print.
"You think that charities would have the highest ethical standards of any organisations. It is clear to me that some of them have been taken over by people who only care about making money."
The Information Commissioner's Office said it would be investigating whether any regulations had been broken.
It is believed Mr Rae filled out a survey in 1994, mentioning he had a pet cat and, crucially, failing to tick a box saying he did not want his details passed on to outside parties.
Mr Rae was then put on a list of "animal lovers", which was purchased by the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the PDSA. The IFAW are alleged to have contacted him 219 times, and the PDSA 275 times. But the details were also forwarded to a medical insurance company, a gambling company, a jewellery retailer and a company which sold his details on to the Prize Winners' Company.
Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation, which bought his details, then sold them on to a broker which passed them on to 10 scam companies in four continents.
The PDSA said it was saddened and disappointed to hear Mr Rae had been the victim of fraudulent behaviour.
"PDSA takes data protection extremely seriously and we are careful to respect supporters' wishes about how we interact with them and use their details," said a spokeswoman.
She said the charity stopped selling personal details of supporters two years ago.
