First, it was at the School of the Arts (SOTA), and now donation solicitors have been spotted lurking outside Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

Lianhe Wanbao previously reported in March this year that a few youths had been pestering SOTA students for donations.

The youths apparently asked for at least $10 and even followed students to withdraw cash if they told them they had no money.

In an update on the story, four men were investigated by the police for reportedly collecting donations without a licence.

Now, five youths have been spotted doing the same thing at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, with the campus security alerted.

A third-year student, Zhuo Jing Zhang, 19, said:

“Last Tuesday (May 1) at 4.45pm, I was waiting for my bus at a bus stop when I saw five youths dressed in black.”

According to Mr Zhuo, the youths accosted students at the bus stop, and kept pestering them for donations.

A few students did not know how to turn them down and ended up giving money so they would be left alone.

Said Mr Zhuo:

“I heard one of the youths asking for at least $50 dollars, and the student he was pestering caved in.

“However, as soon as he handed the youth $50, the youth told him, ‘Since you already give $50, might as well give more! Just give us $150 to help needy people.’”

Mr Zhuo added that he saw a student forked out $150 and was handed 15 ‘thank you’ cards.

He said:

“After that, I spoke to the student and he told me that youth talking to him flashed his donation licence.

"It was so fast he had no time to check if the licence was authentic.

“I felt indignant for him and immediately alerted the security.”

It is believed that the youths were then asked to leave the premises by security personnel.

Mr Zhuo added that he had exposed the matter to remind others to be more vigilant.

Reporters visited the scene on Wednesday afternoon (May 9) but did not meet any of the youths.

Students interviewed commented that the bus stop was packed during dismissal time, and did not notice if there was anyone soliciting donations.

Anyone convicted of the offence of House to House and Street Collections Without Licence under the House to House Street Collections Act may be jailed up to two years and/or fined up to $5,000.

The police also advise members of the public to check the validity of the license for fund raising activities via the following portals to avoid falling victim to unlicensed fund raising activities:

1. National Council of Social Service (NCSS) Fund Raising Permit Search engine at https://www.ncss.gov.sg/Fund-Raising-Permits.aspx;

2. Charity Portal’s Fund Raising Permit Search engine at http://www.charities.gov.sg/Pages/Home/aspx; or

3. SMS query to 79777 using the format “FR<space><license/certificate number or organization name>”