Bogus fire inspectors strike at charity shop
Bogus fire inspectors strike at cancer charity shop
THE CURRENT Covid-19 pandemic has meant that everyone needs to be on their guard more than ever before, because scammers and conmen are out in force.
The peamen are back out along the Levante promenade in Benidorm despite an increased police presence, playing the proverbial game of cat and mouse, enticing holidaymakers to part with their money in a no-win game.
Now bogus fire inspectors are doing the rounds and recently visited the MABS Cancer Foundation charity shop in Muchamiel.
The Spanish-speaking gentleman walked into the shop on Monday morning and announced that he was carrying out the annual check on the shop's fire extinguishers.
He removed them from the shop, went to his van and returned a short time later, with a sticker to announce that they were safe until August 2021.
Shop manager Pauline King told CBN that he then handed her a hand written 'receipt' and demanded €70 for replacement parts and the inspection. Thankfully she phoned the area director to seek advice as he was asking for cash payment and she handed the phone over.
He was told that MABS only pay by bank transfer on receipt of a proper invoice, to which he said no 'cash no banco'.
Manageress Pauline said she told the gentleman that she only had €25 in the till as it was Monday morning so he said he would take that and return the following week for the balance. After being refused, he said he would return the following Monday.
The sticker which he placed on the extinguisher is illegal as it covers the instructions and the local police were called, who will be paying a visit this week.
They did advise the shop to have the extinguisher properly checked out just in case he had fiddled with it.
No legitimate company will conduct business in this way and thankfully Pauline had an inkling that something wasn't quite right.
On Googling the company, there are a stream of similar stories from other small business owners.
Unfortunately he seems to change the name and number so is very difficult to track down unless caught in the act, so to speak. If in doubt, call the local police – a legitimate company will not mind at all.