Hospice Wits is warning the community about a scam that is currently doing the rounds which hamper their ability to raise funds.
According to the hospice, which has offices across Johannesburg with their main offices in Houghton, fraudsters are posing as their staff and visit homes collecting donations from unsuspecting do-gooders.
Hospice Wits CEO Jacqui Kaye said these fraudulent activities hampers their non-profit organisation as well as others that provide essential services to the community from securing the donations they so desperately need.
According to her, none of these funds ever make it into the hands of the organisation.
These activities date as back as far as 2010, but recently resurfaced. Kaye explained that these criminals fraudulently collect donations through direct phone calls and then set up an appointment for collection. When they arrive at the person’s doorstep, they produce false receipts that are ‘umbrellaed’ with the NPOs branding on the letterhead.
They apparently ask people to donate nothing less than R300 and hand them a branded receipt, so they can be ‘at ease’.
“These criminals are denying patients access to our holistic care and pain management, damaging the hospice brand and in turn, threatening the livelihoods of staff employed by the organisation,” she said.
“Donations are the lifeblood of the organisation – without those funds, we might as well close the doors for good. We’re calling on all our patrons and donors to be vigilant and to double check the credentials of anybody who states that they are raising funds for the organisation. As an NPO, most of our services are funded through our retail shops and initiatives such as events that we host from time to time.”
Kaye warned that one should always insist on verifying the registration documents of an NPO, adding that a legitimate, registered charity will not go door-to-door to collect money from donors.
Details: Hospice Wits 011 483 9100.
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