Man arrested over flag-day scam targeting animal charity donations
Man, 22, arrested after 14 people allegedly hired to act as volunteers to collect donations for Hong Kong Saving Cat and Dog Association
The rare street scam came to light during the group’s flag day on Saturday, a Social Welfare Department-approved fundraising initiative under which about 800 registered volunteers from the Hong Kong Saving Cat and Dog Association deployed across Kowloon from 7am to noon, the South China Morning Post learned.
Flag days are a traditional fundraising practice in Hong Kong under which approved charities recruit volunteers to collect donations on the streets. Volunteers carry a designated donation bag and a sheet of small stickers, which replaced the traditional small paper flags that donors once pinned to their clothing many years ago.
When passers-by drop coins into the bag or make a digital donation, the volunteer places a sticker on their clothing as a token of appreciation and recognition. The events are typically held on Saturdays, or occasionally on Wednesdays during school holidays. In Cantonese, flag days are called mai kei yat – or “flag-selling day”.