People are allegedly visiting business in east Auckland trying to sell “fake” raffle tickets and fuel vouchers on behalf of a well-known local sports club.
Howick Hornets Rugby League Football Club captain Peter McInally alerted the Times to the situation this morning, November 13.
“A butcher in Howick rang us and said they’d had someone come in and try to sell some raffle tickets.
“It was a blank book like you’d buy from a $2 shop. They were trying to sell raffles, saying they were from the Howick Hornets. That was about four or five days ago.
“The second instance, they rang us up today saying people were trying to sell discount petrol vouchers.
“The people went to go and use them, but they didn’t work. The second case was at a pet shop.
“After the tickets got sold we asked around straight away because we thought, ‘this is weird, it’s off-season, why would people be selling?’
“We wanted to check to make sure it wasn’t part of the junior club and someone going out off their own bat to try to do some fundraising.
“Everyone came back and said, ‘we know nothing about it’.”
McInally says he hasn’t heard of anything similar happening to the club before.
“The world is changing. People are getting a bit more desperate for dollars or whatever. It just sounds a bit desperate.”
The club has also today posted a warning on its Facebook page about the scam.
“We have been alerted about people currently going around our community peddling fake raffle tickets and fuel vouchers claiming to represent our mighty club,” it states.
“While these dishonest individuals are certainly looking to sting you, we can assure you that they ARE NOT Hornets, nor are they affiliated with us in any way.
“We have reported this to the police. Should you happen to be visited by these individuals, we would greatly appreciate if you could either do the same via 105, or contact us directly so we can update our report.
“Cheers very much to the vigilant locals who saw through the scam and made contact with us.”
People who have been visited by the people trying to sell the fake raffle tickets or fuel vouchers and who wish to alert the club can email howickhornetssecretary@gmail.com or contact police on 105.
Police have been contacted for comment.
