# Universities and companies fall for Gary Richards cancer appeal hoax

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/1996/05/19/universities-and-companies-fall-gary-richards-cancer-appeal-hoax/
- Published: 1996-05-19T23:00:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

UK Fundraising has received photocopies of headed paper from organisations that 
have fallen for and prolonged the Gary Richard cancer chain letter.
The photocopies
represent organisations who have sent business cards to ‘Gary Richards’, who “is
just seven years old and has terminal cancer.” Apparently, young Gary’s ambition“
is to be entered into the Guinness Book of Records for the largset collection of
business cards.”

 

 

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Unfortunately, Gary Richards does not exist. The appeal is a hoax, as are the similar
appeals in the name of Craig Shergold, Craig John, Craig Shelton and others.

 

 

Organisations that have fallen for the hoax and whose staff have gladly forwarded
it to 10 other companies of their choice, as instructed by the hoax message, include:

 

 

  Development Office, University of Nottingham
   
  Development Office, University of Bath
   
  Open University Educational Enterprises Ltd
   
  Beneficial Bank
   
  Institute for Supervision and Management
   
  The Careassist Group Ltd
   
  Independent Union of Halifax Staff
   
  Nationwide Staff Association
   
  Company Magazine
   
  Estee Lauder
   
  Boots The Chemists, Peterborough
   
  Marks & Spencer, Peterborough
   
  Performance Matters
   
  Countdown plc
   
  British Sugar
   
  Farm Fed
   
  Anstruthers Consultancy
   
  Initiative Media
   
  The National Magazine Consultancy Ltd
   
   
  Each of the above sent the message to at least 10 other organisations, so you 
  can imagine the scale that this hoax is now operating at.
   
   
  Does it matter? It matters to fundraisers for two reasons. First, such appeals,
  particularly now that they are being perpetrated by e-mail, could hinder future
  legitimate uses of e-mail appeals by fundraisers. Secondly, some of these hoaxes
  mention genuine charities, who have to waste energy and resources handling the
  thousands of compliment slips or business cards that gullible people around the
  world send in in the mistaken belief that they are helping.
   
   
  A more positive spin on this phenomenon is that, if this many people are willing
  to go to this much trouble to help a child, then fundraisers should be able to
  channel this support into something more practical.
   
   
   
   * **[Howard Lake to speak at CAF Charities' Annual Conference 1996](https://fundraising.co.uk/1996/10/13/howard-lake-speak-caf-charities039-annual-conference-1996/)**(
     13 October 1996)
   * **[Why the Web will increase giving – eventually](https://fundraising.co.uk/1997/05/31/why-web-will-increase-giving-eventually/)**(
     31 May 1997)
   * **[The Nonprofit Online News](https://fundraising.co.uk/1997/06/11/nonprofit-online-news/)**(
     11 June 1997)