Exposed: 'Hero plumber' firm's misleading social media posts that helped raise HUGE sums of money
16.05.2024 - 10:07
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A company helping people struggling with the cost of living used misleading social media posts to raise tens of thousands of pounds, an investigation has uncovered.
DEPHER Community Interest Company (CIC), run by James Anderson from Burnley, posted old photos with new stories in captions - alongside links to online fundraisers. The BBC has exposed the posts in a new documentary, which also shows Mr Anderson apologising for doing 'wrong'.
Misleading posts were found with fundraising links attached to them. One showed a noose which was claimed to have been used by a woman threatening to kill herself was revealed to have actually been attached to a link which raised tens of thousands of pounds - forming part of the £2m raised by DEPHER in recent years, according to the BBC.
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In one example, a tweet from DEPHER on June 12, 2022 posing with an 84-year-old woman, allegedly from Preston, whose face was covered with an emoji to protect her identity. The tweet claimed 'she had a noose ready to commit suicide'.
Mr Anderson was recognised at our Pride of Manchester awards in 2022.
But the BBC found that the same image had been tweeted by DEPHER 18 months earlier, with Joyce's face shown. The post stated that DEPHER 'gave her a reason to smile when she needed that smile the most', and that the elderly woman had since died, adding: "Goodnight & God bless my sweet Angel."
Steph, a carer who helped her for two years, was seen reduced to tears after the BBC showed her the social media posts. “None of that’s true with Joyce,” said Steph. “All a complete lie. I think it’s all a farce to try and gain more money out of people.”
The BBC also spoke to