Police issue warning about fire extinguisher scam

It was likely a similar approach would be attempted at other businesses in the Counties Manukau District. File photo / Thinkstock

Police have issued a warning for people to be alert to a couple of con artists trying to sell fire extinguishers under the guise of Auckland Council employees or representatives from a private firm.

In the latest incident, an Indian man and woman posed as employees of Auckland Council and attempted to sell fire extinguishers to a business in East Tamaki, police said.

When asked for identification, they presented a yellow card with only a photo and name but no logo or business name.

They then said they were from a private company called Aerosfire.com but investigations showed all companies associated with Aerosfire were American with no apparent links to New Zealand.

"It is likely that they are falsely declaring this company as their business front," police said.

Throughout the incident the scammers appeared frustrated and verbally abusive as it was clear a sale was not going to be made. When they were asked to leave they left in a white Toyota RAV4 with possibly four other family members.

It was likely a similar approach would be attempted at other businesses in the Counties Manukau District.

"We want to ensure that no one gets conned by this scam, and so we are looking for as much information on the people involved to ensure we can identify them as soon as possible," said Counties Manukau East area commander Inspector Wendy Spiller.

"The business employee who was approached by the scammers in East Tamaki did the right thing by checking their identification and the legitimacy of the business. Anyone who has concerns about someone who approaches them wanting to do business should do the same thing and ensure they are dealing with a legitimate company otherwise contact police. We urge business owners to pass on information such as vehicle registration and description if they encounter any suspicious people."

Anyone who suspects they have been subject to a scam should call the Counties Manukau East police on 09 250 2800.