Town Of Oyster Bay Residents Urged To Watch Out For Fake Donation Bins

OYSTER BAY, NY — The holiday season is a time for giving back to the less fortunate. But Town of Oyster Bay officials caution that those good deeds might not get in the right hands.

Residents are being urged to check that the organizations behind donation collection bins have good intentions.

Town officials have witnessed a proliferation of illegally placed bins asking residents to drop off clothing or toy donations. Many of these structures appear to be homemade, contain stencil lettering and no sign of legitimacy, Supervisor Joseph Saladino said.

"Unfortunately, this time of year is also when we begin to see this particular type of scam, and we want to make sure our residents are vigilant when it comes to making donations, whether it be with clothing or monetary contributions," Saladino said.

Residents should be aware of the following warning signs:

• Collection bins with no identification
• Overflowing, non-maintained donation bins
• Donations being requested over the phone
• Acknowledgement of a donation never made
• Requests for personal identification, including social security number

“We want our well-intentioned residents to be certain that donations made out of the goodness of their hearts are going to the right place,” Supervisor Saladino added.

Town officials have removed illegally placed bins in the past year after learning that donations were allegedly being improperly collected and sold for profit. Any residents who see these types of donation bins in their community should call the Town’s Code Compliance Bureau at (516) 624-6200.