British plumber James Anderson, 56, who was previously named the “kindest” plumber in the nation, had his British Citizen Award revoked.
Anderson founded the nonprofit Depher Disabled and Elderly, Plumbing and Heating Emergency Response) in Burnley, Lancashire, to help the less fortunate by providing them with free plumbing repairs and boilers.
It was eventually exposed how Depher used unauthorized images of vulnerable individuals without their permission and once falsely claimed that Anderson had stopped an old lady from taking her own life, even though the woman had really passed away years before.
Regarding the “white-knighting” of the 84-year-old lady from taking her own life, Anderson partially admits wrong-doing when he states, “I’ve made mistakes.”
Thanks to his social media tall tales, he became a viral celebrity during the UK’s cost-of-living crisis, and Depher in Brumley received contributions worth at least £2 million.
Some high-profile donors to his “cause” included Hugh Grant and Lily Allen.
An official from GoFundMe assured users that their safety was their priority and promised to assist with any probe. According to a Crowdfunder statement, they strongly advise all project owners to be completely forthright about their goals and the intended use of the cash. JustGiving treated any accusations of misconduct with the utmost seriousness.
The Fundraising Regulator has begun looking into Depher Community Interest Company (CIC) to see whether any violations of the Code of Fundraising Practice have occurred during its fundraising efforts. Legal, open, honest, and courteous fundraising are the four pillars upon which the code rests.
Depher CIC has turned down three requests to become a charity, according to the Charity Commission.
Decipher has published hundreds of tales since 2019 detailing acts of kindness it claims to have performed. There were four complaints lodged against the company with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Anderson promised to reimburse some of the contributions linked to specific deceptive messages or safety concerns. He vowed to make apologies and apologized profusely.
