"somerville patrolmen" soliciting ?

[i-leonardo.livejournal.com]

i searched the "community issues" tag and didn't see this topic, hope i'm not making an obnoxious retread post...

i just got a call from a fellow claiming to represent the somerville patrolman's association and soliciting donations.  i told him i don't accept charitable solicitations over the phone and he hung up.  it reeks of scam; is there anyone i should report it to ?

thanks.

Comments

[rmd.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I also got one of those, recently, and did the same thing.

I'm happy to support my local law enforcement, but not if it's one of those scams where pennies on the dollar go to the actual local folks and the the other 98% is 'administrative overhead.'

[sparr0.livejournal.com]

It amazes me that the FTC hasn't established some clear legally-binding terminology for classifying charities based on overhead. There are charities where 90%+ is overhead, complete scams. And there are charities where 90%+ goes to the intended recipients. And in some areas (like feeding starving kids in Africa), these two types exist side by side and only investigative journalism can tell the difference.

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

I got the same call yesterday, I gave them the same answer. They were polite, which at least once has not been true for one of these police/fire solicitations...

[benign-cremator.livejournal.com]

A quick Google search later, and I have NOT found a Somerville Patrolmens Association. The closest I found was the "Somerville Police Relief Association", but no info on a website. But, yes, sounds like a scam. If it was the SPRA, they would have used their name, and by using the name of an organization that does not exist, it is much less likely that someone will complain.

Somerville Police Relief Association
220 Washington Street
Somerville, MA 02143-3117 map
Website:
Information not found
Phone:
(617) 625-1600

[cfox.livejournal.com]

My husband has been giving them a donation yearly every since we moved here. They picked it up today and the receipt issued gives the 220 Washington Street address, but the title on it is "Somerville Police Patrolmans Association."

I don't think it's a scam; I think they're just not really internet savvy. The guy who picked it up today wasn't in uniform, but on past years a uniformed officer has sometimes picked up the donation.

It did get a, "you gotta be kidding me" reaction from me the first time I saw the interaction go down.

[ron_newman]

I got this call today as well. I asked whether I was being arrested, and the guy said no, so I hung up.

[rosiewoodboat.livejournal.com]

Like a BOSS!

[bombardiette.livejournal.com]

It may not be a scam. The best way to find out would be to call the non-emergency number for the SPD and ask directly. This is actually a pretty common practice for police departments across the country to raise funds for wounded/killed officers' families.

[craigindaville.livejournal.com]

Agreed that sometimes these calls are on behalf of completely legit and very worthy causes. But the bottom line is do NOT give over the phone- give directly to the organization itself, and cut out the middleman.

More info from a trusted source:

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=224

[craigindaville.livejournal.com]

I posted about this same issue a few years ago. I actually work in development, so I am ALWAYS leery of phone solicitations (bottom line: never, ever give money over the phone from someone calling you unsolicited. Even if it is legit and goes to an actual charity, the company making the call pockets between 70-90% of your donation).

http://davis-square.livejournal.com/1810162.html?thread=21200370

[jenskot.livejournal.com]

Well, not all solicitations for donations are organized by external companies - I work for my school's Phonathon, and I get paid in pizza and a few bucks an hour. We do get bonuses for fulfilled pledges, but I understand why people don't donate over the phone, so we usually send them something in the mail with our names (as "student ambassadors") so we can get the credit.

[craigindaville.livejournal.com]

Well, yes. Most schools have their own fundraising operations, so it's all in-house. However, anytime someone calls on behalf of a charity you aren't involved with already (ie: an alum), you can bet it's an external marketing company.

[intuition-ist.livejournal.com]

...not to mention how *really creepy* those calls feel when someone in your home runs a business in Somerville. "hi, we're the police, we know who you are and where you live, now give us money pls." it treads the line between solicitation and extortion, and sometimes it feels more like the latter. :(

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

The person who's calling you is most likely in Nebraska or somewhere. These phone things are run by largish companies that do them for hundreds if not thousands of municipalities.