If a man asks you for cash because Ronald McDonald Houses are full, don’t do it

If you’re approached by a man asking for cash to help pay for a hotel because local Ronald McDonald Houses are full, don’t give him any money, the charity says.

It’s a scam.

Ronald McDonald House Charities Wichita says a man in his 40s had been approaching people on and around Rock and Webb roads, with a story about how his daughter is in Wesley Children’s Hospital after a car crash and now he and his wife are stuck in Wichita waiting for her to recover.

He says he has been forced to pay for a hotel because there’s no room in Wichita’s two Ronald McDonald Houses, the charity said in a news release. He usually asks his targets for around $40.

The charity says it nearly always has available rooms for out-of-town families receiving medical care in Wichita, and in the rare instance that the houses are full, it works to find temporary accommodations until a Ronald McDonald House room comes open.

Ronald McDonald House Charities Wichita says the man is targeting people in the parking lots of Dillons, Sam’s Club, Whole Foods, restaurants and gas stations. He’s black, about 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, has bald or short hair and drives a silver or tan 4-door 2001 or 2002 Pontiac Bonneville or Buick.

He shows people an Oklahoma driver’s license with the name “Bruce Smith” and is “a very fast talker, insistent, confident and convincing,” according to the news release.

Ronald McDonald House is warning people: “Do not fall for this scam!”

Anyone who wants to help families in need may contact Ronald McDonald House Charities Wichita directly at www.rmhcwichita.org or by calling 316-269-4182.

This story was originally published October 5, 2018 at 1:31 PM.