Oyster Bay officials warn of scammers setting up fake collection bins

As if 2020 hadn't brought enough ill will already, officials in the Town of Oyster Bay are warning of scammers setting up fake collection bins around the town — in order to turn the gift of holiday donations into personal profit.

Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino held a news conference Monday to warn local residents about the fake donation collection bins this holiday season.

"We have to be sure that during the holiday season we are only donating to reputable charities," said Oyster Bay Councilman Lou Imbroto, speaking at the news conference held by one of the fake collection bins.

Saladino, who called the fake bins "shameful" and "wrong," said they are generally shabbily made with stenciled lettering, display a fake phone number and generally show up in parking lots. Operators of legitimate bins must register with the town, display an official town sticker, and are not allowed in municipal parking lots, he said.

Donations made to the fake bins are sold for profit, he said, and "not to families who need them the most."

Though the scam is an old one, officials said there's been an uptick in the ruse being played out this season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Saladino said more than a dozen fake bins had been discovered in recent years. The town had recently changed its code to require operators of such bins to get a building permit at no cost.

The town is asking residents to report the location of any fake bins to the Code Compliance Bureau at 516-624-6200.

With Chris Ware

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”