"Somerville police" donation solicitation

[redcolumbine.livejournal.com]

Just got a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Somerville Police announcing their donation pickup drive - you leave the contribution in the mailbox, and they leave you a receipt to prove that it really was them.

If it's bogus, I'm WAY too young to be getting targeted for this kind of fertilizer. If it's not, I'm too broke.

Comments

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

It's not a scam, they do this every year.

Here's a link for a previous year's explanation in the Wicked Local website, with a number to call for questions:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/news/opinions/x1817153328

[yakshaver.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, but that provides no evidence that the call the OP received is not a scam; it merely states that there exists a legitimate Somerville Police-related organization that does fundraising.

"Leave your donation in your mailbox" has scam written all over it. Which isn't to say a legitimate organization wouldn't be dumb enough to ask it.

[frederic.livejournal.com]

You figure they'd be up to date and just ask for your credit card number.

[redcolumbine.livejournal.com]

An awful lot of people (including me) never make contributions over the phone, precisely because it's too hard to verify exactly who you're talking to. Which, I suppose, could prompt both real and fake charities to say "leave your donation in your mailbox." Heck, even if they're legit, I think that's not a legal use of a mailbox, and it's insecure as a square knot in spaghetti in any case.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

call your local postmaster general (post office), and let them know the details. they'll hopefully love it, and cause a ruckus.

afaik, it's a huge hullabaloo to use an OFFICIAL USPS box for anything except USPS. no way, no how. not for the paper. and certainly not for anyone OTHER than the USPS to open up and take stuff out (or the owner).

#

[redcolumbine.livejournal.com]

Now I almost wish I'd consented to make a donation and actually written all the stuff down... although my mailbox is a wicker basket that got blown off its hook in a couple of particularly strong storms, I think it's my common-law mailbox by now.

[incandes-flower.livejournal.com]

There was a recent post about this (http://community.livejournal.com/davis_square/1810162.html). I believe it was concluded that it is legit, although you can read the comments for yourself to make your own determination.

Logistically....

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

How are they going to come to your house and sift through your mail to see if their check is there? It does not make sense because they would not know exactly WHEN you put there the envelope with the check. Would they check every day for a month? This has red flags all over it (no matter what some people who always want to assume the best might say).

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

These calls do come in about once a year. I used to donate just because I was afraid to refuse to donate to the police department. But after hearing more about these calls, listening to their spiel a little more closely, and asking them some questions, it appears that they may or may not be a legit fundraiser, but they are NOT the Somerville Police Department. They are a group fundraising, supposedly, for police organizations. They can't tell you how much money would go to Somerville. Now I give them a hard time and refuse to bite.

Wow. So, you donated because you were intimidated...

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Basically. I got a few of those calls and refused. I don't answer the phone, typically, so who knows how many other times they tried. True, the voice on the phone gives you this impression of some psycho bully who's gonna harass you if you don't donate.