17 June 2009 Adelaide, South Australia Police raids on several properties were carried out as a result of a six-month investigation into what appears to have been a major fraud. As reported on Adelaide Now:
Major Fraud detectives led 50 police in raids yesterday on eight properties in the city, Parafield Gardens, Salisbury and Hampstead Gardens yesterday, seizing documents, computers and about $18,000 cash in notes and other coins linked to three charity organisations; Friends of the Disabled Children’s Task Force Inc, Friends of the Underprivileged Task Force Inc. and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
Five people were arrested yesterday and charged with offences including conspiracy to defraud, dishonestly dealing with documents and deception.
According to the allegations, while high pressure telemarketing techniques, collection tins, and door-to-door soliciting were used to collect approximately $1,200,000, very little actually went to the people it was supposed to help.
Tags: Crime, financial exploitation
