Aussies warned against scammers seeking charity for twins

According to media reports today,the callers who spoke in an Indian accents were asking Australians to donate money to a phoney fund-raising scheme for the former conjoined twins.

Children First Foundation chief executive Margaret Smith said several supporters had told them they had been contacted by people asking them to donate USD 20 to help buy food for the three-year-old twins and bring their mother to Australia.

She said the callers had asked people to pay by credit card and offered no formal identification.

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Smith said official callers for Children First Foundation,which brought Trishna and Krishna to Australia,always identified themselves and offered a tax-deductable receipt.

The callers could also provide the organisation’s Donor Gift Recipient number for further verification.

She described the scammers as “cunning” and “despicable”.

“I think anybody that preys on somebody in an illegitimate fashion is very calculating and not operating in the normal good Aussie,honest fashion,” she said,adding “We are totally reliant on donations,we don’t receive any government money,so when people do this in an illegal manner that’s just taking it away from us trying to raise funds in a legitimate manner,and that’s what makes it very,very

difficult.”

Smith said she did not want the scam to prevent Australians donating to Children First Foundation,but asked them to beware.

Trishna and Krishna were born joined at the head and brought to Australia from Bangladesh by the Children First Foundation.

They were separated in a delicate 32-hour operation in Melbourne last November,with no brain damage or serious complications.

Smith said the twins were doing well and their mother would make a “private visit” to Australia this year.