Scammers pretending to seek donations for police

This is a news release from the State of Nevada's Fight Fraud Taskforce

 

Las Vegas – The Nevada Fight Fraud Taskforce is warning Las Vegas residents to be wary of a potential fundraising scam soliciting donations for their local police departments. Several residents have reported receiving multiple calls asking for contributions to the police.
“We are receiving calls on this issue daily,” says Elisabeth Daniels, Chairperson of the Taskforce. “When there are news stories or current events involving the police, scammers try to take advantage of the situation by making bogus solicitations.”
Daniels offers these tips from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to help consumers avoid being defrauded:

• Simply having the words “police” or “firefighter” in an organization’s name doesn’t mean police or firefighters are members of the group.
• Just because an organization claims it has local ties or works with local police or firefighters doesn’t mean contributions will be used locally or for public safety. The organization should be able to provide you with written information describing the programs your donation will support, and their fund-raising costs before you donate.
• Most solicitations for police and fire service organizations are made by paid professional fund-raisers.
• Donations to some police or firefighter groups may not be tax deductible. Many kinds of organizations are tax exempt, including fraternal organizations, labor unions, and trade associations, but donations to them may not be tax deductible.

 

Before giving any money, Daniels suggests following the FTC’s recommendations:

• Ask for the charity’s name, address, and phone number, and written information about its programs.
• Check the validity of the organization with your local law enforcement department and the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance.
• Ask whether the person contacting you is a professional fundraiser and how much of your contribution will go to fundraising costs.

For more information about fraud-related fundraising, visit the FTC web site, the National Charities Information Bureau, and the Fight Fraud website.

Santa Cops

The holidays will soon be a little bit brighter for 112 underprivileged children. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Target Corporation are again joining forces to bring holiday cheer to selected community members with “Santa Cops.”
The program will be held Saturday, December 5, 2009, from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. at the Target store located at 278 S. Decatur Blvd. The objective of this charitable program is to provide a holiday shopping experience for underprivileged children, while fostering good community relations between the LVMPD and local citizens.
Over 100 LVMPD employees will shop with pre-selected children from throughout the Las Vegas Valley. The children participating in this event have been identified as children-in-need by the LVMPD officers and employees working in their neighborhoods.
The majority of the total funds (over $15,000) for this program were raised and donated by LVMPD employees throughout the year. Target also made a financial donation and generously allows the use of its store.
At 7:10 a.m. a SWAT vehicle will bring Santa from the North Pole to visit with the children. The vehicle will drive through the Target parking lot before dropping Santa off for free photos.
Children for this event have already been selected and notified.