In the aftermath of a well-publicized southern Ontario case that saw a 23-year-old woman allegedly fake a terminal case of cancer, local charities are warning the public to practice due diligence when making donations.
On Sunday Halton Regional Police Service charged Ashley Anne Kirilow with three counts of fraud under $5,000 for allegedly organizing a fundraising campaign under the pretence that she had a terminal illness.
It’s also alleged that a cancer charity sent Kirilow and her family to Disney World in Florida.
Kirilow turned herself into police custody on Friday and was to appear in court on Monday. The news is upsetting to the area manager of the Northwest Region Canadian Cancer Society.
"When someone does something that isn’t legitimate in the cancer realm there is that question of doubt that occurs in donors’ minds," said Pat Ramirez. "I think for the Canadian Cancer Society we are very, very, strong with our due diligence before we actually do a fundraiser."
Ramirez added that charitable organizations need to communicate as clearly as possible about who they select for a fundraising campaign.
"We’ve tried to communicate in all our initiatives that we’re very strict and careful to check people who approach us," she said. "It is very unfortunate to take advantage of a difficult situation for your own personal benefit but things like this happen."
Occasionally, individuals who raised money on their own donate to the Cancer Society without their knowledge, which is difficult to look into, she said.
Ramirez said an important indicator to know whether a person or charity is legitimate is to see if they have a charitable number registered with Revenue Canada.
A non-profit organization offering receipts needs that registered number before an individual can make a claim, she said.
The incident has the potential to affect fundraising efforts across the board, said another local charity’s organizer.
Jered Zieroth, communications director with the Thunder Bay chapter of the United Way, said incidents like this are rare, but disappointing, as it could potentially damage the reputations of legitimate fundraising organizations.
"It is disappointing, that someone would do that" Zieroth said. "You have so many people trying to do so many great things for the community. This can be damaging but the great thing about the United Way is that it has a great reputation in the community and I think that’s why people feel safe in donating to us."
Zieroth said the United Way has an allocation process to ensure an organization or an agency is legitimate, and added there is a specific team that conducts background checks. Zieroth said the United Way funds agencies not individuals, which decreases the chances for someone to take advantage of them.
The Canadian Press has reported the incident has gone viral, grabbing international headlines and led to outrage on a Facebook wall for the charity Change for a Cure, which Ashley Kirilow created.
Photos on the website on Saturday showed Kirilow, smiling, but looking sallow as she wore a pink knit hat to cover her apparently bald head. In the picture, Kirilow is making fists with her hands to show off tattoos on her knuckles that in black lettering read "won't quit."
Other photos, which have since been taken down, showed a pair of hands wrapped in tubes and taped in needles.
One published report last week quoted her as saying she was sorry for what she has done.
None of the allegations against Ashley Kirilow have been proven in court.
With files from the Canadian Press.
