Bury St Edmunds Islamic Cultural Organisation issues warning over ‘fraudulent’ cold callers

An organisation which is looking to open a mosque in Bury St Edmunds has issued a warning over cold callers falsely claiming to represent the group.

The Bury St Edmunds Islamic Cultural Organisation (BICO) said it was made aware of incidents on Friday, October 4 where residents had been approached at their homes, often late in the evening, by people impersonating members of the charity’s committee.

Hussein Laoukili, BICO committee member, said the ‘imposters’ were falsely claiming to represent BICO and were requesting support or donations for the group’s planned new mosque.

BICO has submitted a planning application to West Suffolk Council to use the Vineyard Centre, in Out Westgate, as a centre for prayers, education and community activities.

Mr Laoukili said: “It is critical to inform the public that BICO or any of its committee members do not engage in cold calling or unsolicited visits to request donations or support.

“The individuals conducting this activity are not associated with BICO or any of our community members.

“We strongly believe that these approaches are part of a fraudulent scheme designed to deceive and extract money from unsuspecting residents.

“For the safety of the community, we urge anyone who has been approached in this manner to report the incident immediately to the police or to BICO.

“We are committed to co-operating with the authorities to address this issue and ensure the protection of our community.”