Woman dupes taxi firm by posing as Umaga's sister

A Dunedin woman who convinced a taxi driver she was Tana Umaga's sister and could get tickets for an All Black rugby test match was clearly a skilled and believable con woman, the Dunedin District Court was told.

Judge Stephen O'Driscoll said as a result of what shop assistant Rachel Pauline Piukala, 30, told the driver, she obtained $90 for tickets that never eventuated.

Piukala also convinced the Dunedin Taxis company that she was the All Black captain's sister, telling them she was from Auckland, where she worked as an inspector for the Work and Income Department.

She created a charge account with the taxi company and incurred debts of almost $200 for 17 taxi rides between June 1 and June 10.

Piukala was convicted of a charge of causing a $90 loss by deception and 17 charges of fraudulently using a taxi service credit account to dishonestly obtain a service.

On each of the 18 charges, she was sentenced to 125 hours' community work and ordered to pay reparation of $90 and $182.30.

- NZPA