A 40-year-old woman was arrested on charges of fraud at Kempton Park SPCA on Monday afternoon.
The arrest came after the woman was caught red-handed by the local society’s manager Kira Sparrow and Charmaine Joubert.
“We were on our way back from a call in Pomona when we spotted the woman standing at the Pomona and Highveld roads intersection,” said Sparrow.
“We stopped to investigate because for about three weeks, we had been receiving calls about people who were standing at the very intersection collecting money using the SPCA name. We would go out to check but find nothing.
“I got out of the car and confronted her. She was carrying a money tin and a fake donation form with the SPCA masthead on it.”
While Joubert and Sparrow were interrogating the woman, her husband who was sitting across the street joined them.
“They both confessed they were fraudulently collecting money on the streets using the SPCA name,” explained Joubert.
“They bought a money tin and went to an internet café, printed the SPCA masthead and drafted a fake form. They also took paper and put it around the tin. They were operating under the Cape of Good SPCA in Cape Town.
“We are saddened by this because people were taking out their money and giving it to these people, thinking they were helping the SPCA. Meanwhile, they were taking the money for themselves.”
The couple was apprehended by Joubert and Sparrow and taken to the local SPCA where Kempton Park SAPS arrested the woman, as she was the one caught in the act.
“We know all our volunteers and we don’t know this couple. We appeal to people to be more vigilant and not fall for such scams,” said Sparrow.
“Every SPCA operates within its jurisdiction and it is impossible that they could represent Cape of Good Hope SPCA in Kempton Park. It is also important for the community to note that we don’t have volunteers out on the streets and to please report such people should they see them.
“The community is welcome to call the office if they want to verify the legitimacy of people asking for donations using our name.”
