WEST Vancouver Police are sounding the alarm over a man who has allegedly been posing as a fundraiser for cancer research.
The suspected fraudster appeared at the door of at least three West Vancouver homes Aug. 20 soliciting cash donations that he said were for the B.C. Cancer Foundation, according to investigators. He also told residents that his mother suffered from the disease.
One person in the 900-block of Sinclair Street gave him $20, but afterward felt suspicious and immediately phoned police.
"(The suspect) didn't give them a receipt, and he carried no identification," said Anne Russell, Block Watch coordinator for the West Vancouver police. "They just thought he looked scruffy and didn't really look like a canvasser."
Since then, two other attempts were reported, one on Copper Cove Road and the other in the 1500-block of Inglewood Avenue. The incidents are believed be the work of the same person.
The suspect is described as 20-25 years old, five feet seven inches tall and 140 pounds with short brown hair. He was wearing a blue shirt with white stripes and black Bermuda shorts. Police patrolled the area but didn't see him, according to the WVPD.
Russell said the scam is "quite common," and suggested homeowners ask all canvassers for identification, a business license and a numbered receipt. They can also call the organization they claim to represent for confirmation that the canvasser is legitimate.
