In light of the ongoing concern over the alleged misappropriation of financial donations felt by members of the Neighbours In Need Facebook group, there are steps that Newfoundlanders can take when making monetary donations online.
Cst. James Cadigan, Public Communications Officer with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, said that anytime community members engage with individuals on social media platforms, applications, online, or via email, to use caution.
He also said take the time to research the group or organization to learn its mandate or vision to understand where donations are going.
“The best practice would be to engage with registered charities, non-profits, and organizations with a website that you can look up to determine what their mandate includes. We would ask individuals in need to reach out to these specific groups for support to ensure there is a process and they can understand what kind of services and support are available.”
Cadigan said another benefit of using registered groups is that you can review their financial statements and understand what activities they have been involved with in previous years.
When researching whether a group is legitimate, he said there are many people in the community who can support it. Cadigan said the RNC provides resources; community members can also find resources on the Government of Newfoundland website, which can lead you in the right direction.
Cadigan said if the public suspects criminal activity or something suspicious is ongoing, they can report it to the RNC to conduct an appropriate investigation to determine whether anything is criminal. At this point, he said, no information about this case is currently available to him.
He said complaints about suspected criminal activity can be made by filing a statement with an RNC officer, submitting it online, or at the front desk of RNC headquarters. The information is then passed on to an investigator tasked with investigating and obtaining further evidence connected to the initial complaint. Once the investigation is exhausted, it will be determined whether the matter is criminal and whether someone is responsible for the criminal act.
With Facebook sometimes being an unfiltered space where liable accusations are made often, he said the last thing anyone wants is the community to make assumptions, which is why it's essential to report suspected crime so it can be investigated, said Cadigan.
He said that, on average, the RNC receives reports related to social media every day and has various ways to investigate criminal online activity.
“We have a Computer Forensics Unit, and they are experts in collecting data and investigating the content contained within applications, cell phones, and devices. We have the Internet Child Exploitation Unit, which is another unit that is specific to Internet activity. We have multiple specialized units within the RNC that would handle matters such as financial crime or other types of criminal activity that would be observed online.”
He added that the RNC often collaborates with the RCMP and other agencies to investigate online crime in Canada and globally.
“Anytime you see the community impacted by activity that may have the potential for loss or damage, it’s difficult to see, and we want to support you in that situation, so report it so when can receive the information that may assist us in investigating whether any criminal nature is involved.”
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