Rich Parents Use Charity Funds to Pay for Their Kids Ski Trips
Some rich parents in the United Kingdom have received millions of dollars in taxpayers’ money to help fund ski trips for their children.
According to the Daily Mail, these rich parents exploited the Government’s Gift Aid program, which is designed to top off charitable donations by creating “bespoke” funds to pay for ski trips to luxury resorts and pay for equipment and other ski expenses.
In the U.S., more than 14.3 million tons of donated textiles help clothe people and families across the world. But this charity focused more on paying for luxury ski trips for well-off families rather than provide assistance to those in need.
“It’s shocking that a well-intentioned tax relief has been used this way,” said Margaret Hodge, Labor MP.
Two prominent members of the charity, although they do not oversee day-to-day activities, are property developer Sir John Ritblat and Margaret Thatcher’s former Sports Minister Lord Moynihan.
“This has been an open secret in the skiing community for years,” a source told the Daily Mail. “A lot of these are privately educated children from wealthy parents who have been exploiting the system for financial gain.”
Across the Atlantic Ocean, other scams perhaps aren’t as high profile, but are still affecting vulnerable people.
The Ledger reports that the Polk Sheriff’s Office in Orlando, Florida announced the arrest of an Internet con artist who was connected to a banking scam in Polk County.
Robert Ratkovic was arrested during the summer and charged with grand theft, money laundering, and fraud. Ratkovic was part of a $1.2 million scam.
“If somebody’s trying to give you money who you don’t know, it’s too good to be true,” said Sheriff Grady Judd at a news conference addressing the recent online scams. “If you want to give your money away, pick your favorite charity and watch your money at work. Don’t give it to criminals.”
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