Photo: Contributed
Kelowna’s RCMP withdrew an earlier news release warning the public of a door-to-door charity scam in the community.
Police said Tuesday that a fraudster went from door to door in the Dilworth neighborhood on April 11, fraudulently seeking donations to a charity that is not currently raising funds that way.
Nathan Borges of Global Faces, who has a door-to-door fundraising contract on behalf of the British Columbia Cancer Foundation, told Castanet that the person the police warned the public about was legal fundraising.
While police said the fundraiser was putting pressure on the homeowner for money, Borges said it was simply not true – they could not legally accept it.
Borges says their fundraising contractors use an iPad and a phone to connect the homeowner with the charity itself, which then calls the donor to complete the donation over the phone.
In the case of the RCMP news release, Borges said the suspicious homeowner had mistakenly called the Canadian Cancer Society to ask if they were raising money from door to door at the time.
If the homeowner had called the BC Cancer Foundation, they would have been told that the charity’s representative was legitimate.
The BC Cancer Foundation issued a statement Wednesday informing Kelowna residents that they are actually going door to door for donations.
“For security and safety reasons, all agitators wear BC Cancer Foundation identity badges and beer vests. “Canvassers are equipped with masks and will maintain a distance of at least six feet when interacting with you at your door,” said the Foundation.
“The auditors of the BC Cancer Foundation will invite you to participate only in our monthly donation program and will NOT accept cash at the door. Once you register for monthly donations, you will immediately receive a confirmation email, “the charity continued.
Borges repeated this statement and asked anyone who might feel suspicious of a charity agitator to ask him to prove his legitimacy.
“I think the biggest problem we have is that we are not given this opportunity to show people, yes, we are legitimate. This is what we need to show that we are legitimate. And if you want to contact the charity, here is the phone number, “he said.
A fraudster will not be able to prove his legitimacy, Borges said.
Borges said two weeks ago one of their agitators was handcuffed after another suspicious owner called police.
He could only guess why the residents were calling the police so quickly, but he suggested that the residents might be offended when the agitator tried to overcome the initial refusal.
Kelowna’s RCMP said in a statement Thursday, confirming that a statement issued earlier in the week was incorrect.
“Kelowna’s RCMP has identified the person involved and can confirm that he has raised money for the British Columbia Cancer Foundation,” said Capt. Tami Lob.
“It’s common for the BC Cancer Foundation to collect donations from door to door, and we apologize to our friends at the foundation for the confusion this may have caused.
Add Comment