Southland Charity Hospital letterhead used in scam
Melissa Vining says she feels sick after learning a person has used the Southland Charity Hospital’s name in an attempt to scam a local business.
‘‘It’s just hideous, just yuck,’’ Vining said.
A Southland business had been approached by someone saying they were from the hospital and wanted goods donated, she said.
‘‘It just didn’t feel quite right to them, so they [the business owner] asked for a signed letter from me or Dr Murray Pfeiffer,’’ she said.
The person returned to the business a few days later with a letter carrying the hospital’s letterhead, she said. ‘‘It doesn’t have mine or Dr Pfeiffer’s signature on it. Any letter coming from the hospital would have our personal signatures.’’
The matter has been referred to the police.
‘‘The police have been amazing and have given a lot of urgency to the matter.’’
She is concerned about how many other businesses have donated goods and services, thinking that the letter was genuine.
‘‘It’s just disgusting that they’ve used a dead person’s name to steal. They’ve effectively attempted to steal from the entire Otago and Southland community, who have been so incredibly generous with their donations to get this hospital built.’’
Her late husband and cancer care advocate Blair Vining came up with the idea of building the hospital six weeks before he died in October, 2019. More than $5 million has been raised in either goods or donated time to build the hospital, which is expected to open in July.
If people were concerned about the legitimacy of a fundraiser for the Southland Charity Hospital they could contact hello@southlandcharityhospital. org – and any businesses that may have been contacted using the fraudulent letters could also contact them that way, she said.
‘‘ . . . Any letter coming from the hospital would have our personal signatures.’’ Melissa Vining