Cancer charity latest target of scam artists

Two young girls in Tauranga are falsely claiming to be collecting money for the Cancer Society - prompting the organisation to label their behaviour as disgusting.

Police say the pre-teen girls have been targeting unsuspecting residents in Matua, and warn people in other suburbs to be alert.

The regional health promoter for the Cancer Society, Maree Achilles, was disgusted by the girls' behaviour.

"They are using our charitable profile to their own advantage."

She was alerted to the door-knock scheme by an elderly lady who realised all too late that she had been duped.

"She rang a friend afterwards and the friend had done the same thing," Ms Achilles said.

She pointed out that the Cancer Society had only one appeal a year - Daffodil Day - that was run in August.

This region is widely regarded as the country's scam capital as thousands of residents are ripped off by fraudsters every year.

The Western Bay's wealth, population density and growing number of small businesses are thought to make the area particularly attractive to fraudsters.

Scam artists often prey on the trust of people involved in community groups such as churches and marae, or vulnerable elderly.

In October 2004, the Tauranga City Council was so alarmed by the surging number of Western Bay victims and their losses that it ran a major education campaign, backed by the Securities Commission and the Serious Fraud Office.

Tauranga Age Concern president Lorraine Wilson said the elderly were known to be disproportionately generous to charitable causes despite often-modest incomes, and therefore could be seen as easy targets for scam artists and fraudsters.

Mrs Wilson said she was unaware of any local Age Concern members being targeted by the girls falsely collecting for the Cancer Society.

But she said no one should hand over any cash unless the collector was wearing an appropriate identity badge and was armed with a legitimate collection bag or box.

"If people are in any doubt the person is bona fide we urge them to tell the collector 'no I can't donate at this time' and leave it at that.

"Fraudsters can be very convincing and persuasive so we don't encourage people to enter into extensive verbal engagement with someone who could be bogus."

* Anyone with any information about the girls can call Tauranga police on 577-4300 or 0800 SPEAK-UP.

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES