Public warned of bogus officer

Press, 2 June 1989, Page 5

Public warned of bogus officer

By

CULLEN SMITH

The activities of a bogus Immigration Service officer in Christchurch have sparked a warning for the public to check the identity of people purporting to represent Government agencies. Calling himself Steve Prescott and saying he was from the Immigration Service, the man telephoned a Samoan woman in the city on Tuesday seeking her tax number, passport number and other identification details. The man spoke to a babysitter and asked her to tell the woman he would call for the documents about 7 p.m. When the man failed to show up, the woman contacted the

Immigration Service and was told it had no employee named Steve Prescott. The southern regional manager for the Immigration Service, Mr lan Jarvis, confirmed the incident yesterday. “It concerns me greatly that someone may be trying to pose as an immigration officer,” he said. The husband of the woman complainant was a Western Samoan who had been resident in New Zealand since the age of five. The couple was concerned that other Samoans unsure of their rights might be duped into divulging personal information to a stranger, Mr Jarvis said.

All Immigration Service officers carry a signed identification warrant including a photograph of the officer. Mr Jarvis said people should insist on seeing the identity card if they had any suspicions about an interviewer. Immigration officers were unlikely to seek such information over the telephone, but might telephone people to arrange a personal interview.

The Immigration Service had three full-time compliance officers working in Christchurch to check on overstayers. These officers worked at night on occasion, but usually made personal visits.

Mr Jarvis said he was unaware of any other complaints involving "Steve Prescott.” He was aware of a similar incident involving a bogus officer some years ago, but nothing recently.

“Steve Prescott" is also unknown at the Internal Affairs Department and the Inland Revenue Department. Both departments issue their investigating officers with identity warrants similar to the ones used by the Immigration Service. Spokesmen for both departments reiterated Mr Jarvis’s warning for people to check identities before divulging information.