Police warn about fraudulent charity canvasser
Saanich police are warning people to be wary of handing over money at your doorstep to anyone claiming to be collecting for charity.
Police arrested a man on Friday for fraudulently collecting money by claiming to represent the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
A homeowner called police to the 700-block of Claremont Ave. around noon after he heard "some loud pounding at his front door."
"When he opened the door a suspicious man claimed to be canvassing for the Heart and Stroke Foundation," Staff Sgt. Scott Treble said in a release. The homeowner denied the request for donation, and called police. The suspicious man left on a bike.
Police later learned from neighbours that this man had gone door-to-door in the area, and had been given small amounts of money.
Officers spotted the man biking along the shoulder of the Pat Bay Highway and directed him to pull over. He flipped the cops his middle finger and attempted to flee.
Police arrested him a short time later on Cherry Tree Bend.
Treble says police also learned that a parcel had been recently delivered to the home on Claremont Avenue, but it was no longer there. It was quickly found dumped nearby.
The 32-year-old suspect will appear in court in March.
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