charitable extortion

[rmd]

you know, after hearing about the ftc cracking down on fraudulent charities claiming to help cops and firefighters just the other day, i think the somerville police group picked the wrong day to call me and solicit for donations.

if it really was for the somerville cops.

Comments

[laurenpburka.livejournal.com]

Try asking charities what percentage of their take is overhead. Watch them be confused. It's fun!

[johnromkey.livejournal.com]

This may be easier to do in a small town, but a few years ago I asked our local police chief if the people calling asking for donations for the "Police Chiefs of New Hampshire" were for real. His answer was that he couldn't tell me what to do, and couldn't say they weren't for real, but that his police department had never seen a cent or any assistance from them.

I tell people who call saying they're the police department or the fire department that I support our local police and fire departments directly and locally (which I do).

[rmd.livejournal.com]

I sent mail to the email address for the cops on the Somerville city web site, asking about it, and just got a reply back from a deputy chief (on his blackberry) saying that the call I got was likely from a professional fundraiser, and I should keep my money.

[wrog]

haven't gotten one of these in a while but when they claim they're calling on behalf of the police -- at least they've stopped claiming to be the police; that one's always fun -- I say, "Which police?"

Figure if they can't even properly name our local department or the county sheriff's office or the state patrol or the name of the fire district that serves us (there isn't one in our case since fire protection is part of city services, hahahaha), then I can be pretty sure that none of my money will end up there.

[foldedfish.livejournal.com]

I just got a call, myself, allegedly from the Woburn police. Their caller ID was blocked. You know, like the cops do, because they like to remain secretive.

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

I don't think it was the SPD. See this post:
http://community.livejournal.com/davis_square/1810162.html

I vote "scammers".