A woman who was reportedly collecting donations on behalf of the B.C. Open Heart Society has been identified.
An RCMP investigation ensued following complaints about a woman who sought donations for the First Open Heart Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation in two separate incidents last week.
Following up on tips from the public, police attended the woman's central Nanaimo home on Tuesday. She still had the money she had collected and turned it over voluntarily to the investigating officer.
After considering all the factors involved, the officer elected to deal with the matter informally.
Since the money had initially been donated to the First Open Heart Society of B.C., the officer forwarded the money to the society.
The woman was warned that any further reports could result in criminal charges and the investigation is concluded.
March is Fraud Awareness Month. The public is asked to remain vigilant when individuals go door-to-door asking for donations and ask questions, examine identification tags and call agencies directly to verify they have canvassers in the community.
Report suspected fraudulent canvassing by calling the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345.