Scammer targets at-home elderly

A teenager yesterday went door-to-door on a suburban Auckland street asking elderly residents for money for the family of two babies he said had been killed in a house fire.

But police say there was no such fire and are warning people to check details of door-to-door collectors and salesmen before handing over money.

It is understood the youth was still on the run last night.

He is believed to have started his offending on Hibernian Drive in Waitakere City before midday, then moved on to nearby Kilmarnock Ave.

A 69-year-old woman who lives home alone on Kilmarnock Ave said the teenager knocked on her door and showed her photos of two babies who she thought looked about four months old.

"He said that there was a house fire in Henderson Valley last night and they were killed in the fire and he was collecting money for these two little babies, would I like to give?

"I said, 'Well, I've heard nothing about that on the TV or radio'.

"He said, 'Oh, it happened last night but it will be on TV tonight'.

"Well, news gets around quicker than that so I said, 'Well, when I hear something on the TV, I will [donate]'.

"He said, 'Okay then' ... He never hurried, he never ran or anything like that. He just walked out of the driveway and walked down the road."

The woman said she closed the door on the teenager and phoned police immediately.

They told her they had already received several calls about the donation seeker.

The teenager was carrying a plastic, clear container with a slot in it and she could see he already had money in it.

She described him as Pacific Islander or Maori, aged about 17, wearing dark-coloured pants, a dark jacket, a peaked cap and a satchel-style bag which he was wearing with the strap across his body.

"He was a young guy, taking advantage of people who are at home.

"It all happened so quick."

The woman said mostly elderly people lived in the area and there were "quite a few ladies on their own".

She found it "disgusting" the youth had used photos of somebody's children to raise money.

"Especially little ones like that, saying they were burned in a house fire, that's disgusting, that's terrible, he's got no feeling."

Police northern communications Inspector Ian Brooker confirmed the incident had happened and said he had not heard of a house fire in Henderson Valley. He warned people not to hand over money without checking fundraisers' ID.

"Any people collecting for reputable charities will always have identification and will always produce it if requested."