Please buy pen to help poor families
By Arul John
Buy a pen or mechanical pencil for $2 to help a needy or low-income family.
That was the pitch that four teenagers made to passers-by at an MRT station last month.
However, The New Paper has learnt that they are not collecting on behalf of a charity.
They are working for a direct-selling company.
There is also confusion over whether they are selling the pens and pencils to raise money for the needy or for themselves.
They told The New Paper that the sales proceeds would go to help needy families and low-income families. When asked, they also produced an authorisation letter that stated the same thing.
But a director of the firm later said that the teenagers had said the wrong thing.
He also denied that the letter had stated that the proceeds would be used to help the needy.
He faxed over what he claimed was the actual authorisation letter, which stated that the teens were selling the pens to earn money for themselves.
The police are looking into the case following inquiries by The New Paper.
The New Paper met the four teenagers at Admiralty MRT station on 12 Nov, after a concerned reader called our hotline.
Insurance agent Syed Jaffar, 49, was puzzled after some of the teenagers told him they were selling the items to earn money for themselves, and that they did not issue receipts for items sold.
He said: 'They said the money they collected would be given back to the company at the end of each day. What is stopping them from taking the money for themselves?'
Play on sympathy
His colleague, Mr Richard Seah, 66, said: 'Some of the people approached by the teenagers are primary schoolchildren who give their savings and the teenagers seem to play on their sympathy.'
The teenagers claimed they were working for 3(BS) Consultancy Services (3BS) and were helping low-income and needy families by selling pens and pencils.
A check with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority showed that 3BS was registered as a direct-selling company.
Each teenager had an authorisation letter signed by Ms Anabella Sonya, one of its directors. The letter also included 3BS's address, company registration number, and company stamp.
The letter stated that 3BS was a non-charitable organisation and those carrying the letters were authorised to sell items like pens and mechanical pencils for $2 to $3 each to collect money to help low-income families and families of prisoners.
The teenagers did not have any permits. Self Charity - i'm poor, i need money donate to me...
