READER LETTER | Politicians ‘scam’ donors by misusing funds donated to parties

There are so many scams out there, it seems the whole world is dishonest. It's not just money being stolen, but also the time taken to delete the emails and text messages. But what if it is an honest, legal scam?

We all feel scammed every time we go to a supermarket or buy petrol, but that's legal. We all feel ripped off when the latest reality show is just a bunch of narcissistic instagrammers, but that's legal and surprisingly popular. Being "scammed" is hard to precisely define. Everyone giving to charity knows that some money will go to running the charity, but when most doesn't it should be labelled a scam but it is honest and legal, basically.

The latest and greatest apparent scam is when donations to politicians and political parties are used for a "wider" range of payments including for lawyers to keep them out of jail and still available to be elected. Probably not a unique event, but certainly a topic for discussion in the current US elections. A lot of people say they don't trust politicians and they are right in many cases. If you want to help, donate time as well and give money to local, volunteer-based charities so that the money, help and resources go to those in need.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia