I have to say this really pisses me off... and a warning for this time of year...

[Tab]

I just got a phone call from some company "raising funds" for my state's police department, then tells me the call is being recorded for some purpose, then tells me they will send stickers in support of my police and all the good work my police do (which they do) and I should display my sticker in support, and would a $25 or $35 dollar donation be better for me?

I fell for this years ago - apparently it was a firm in Florida that yes, technically donates to whatever - firefighter, police, or special olympics, but they only donate 1% (if even that much). The rest they keep for themselves. So, they're not technically lying, but I would say it's unethical.

I backtracked that number and it turns out they've called on behalf of police and firefighters and wounded vets all over the country, so they're not just magically the friends of my local police department.

I urge anyone who gets these calls at this time of years (which is when they seem to come out of the woodwork) and say you don't do phone solicitations, but if they'd send you some information, you'll be happy to review it. As a rule, I've found a good 85% just hang up. Very few will take the time to let you to confirm it.

I'm not against charity, but I am against rip-offs. And I'll bet dollars to donuts that this wasn't a formal registered charity either. And it pisses me off that they play against our - whatever - "heartstrings" - meaning, the police (who could argue?), the firefighters (who could argue?), the special needs children (who could argue?), the veterans (who could argue?) for their own gain. That makes them scum below scum in my book.

If it's an honest drive I should be getting a phone call from a local department. If the department hired out, that place should be willing to at least give me some way to verify it's an honest drive. These are neither, and are reprehensible.

Sorry, yesterday was a sucky day, so I'm using this to complain. But these people really piss me off.

[Howardx]

1. recorded for quality control and training purposes?

thats pretty typical

[Redstone]

2. Don't send them money - the cops HATE those assholes.

You did good research, and I thank you for bringing it to the attention of other DUers.

Redstone

[Vanje]

3. True! Kick nt

[begin_within]

4. I just say politely, "No thank you" and then hang up no matter what they say.

Then I haven't been rude, they have.

[Mad_Dem_X]

23. That's just what I do

I used to give to them, but I've stopped donating over the phone. I just say, "I'm sorry, I can't this year," and hang right up.

[uppityperson]

5. k&r from someone with a similar story.

[K Gardner]

6. My daughter got a temp job with one of the "Firefighters" funds a couple years back

and quit the 2nd day when she found out where the money actually went and where it didn't go.

[thepurpose]

7. Its not just this company. Check any of these type of calls out before you give.

So many rip off artist out there its a crying shame.

[Happyhippychick]

8. I got one of these today! He said he was with the

American Association of Police Officers and I told him I was very skeptical. I didn't give him anything but he used the exact same lines on me - stickers, raising funds for my police department, etc.

[Steven_S]

9. They always hang up on me.....

I say - "Hold on I'll give you Lieutenant Murphy" - CLICK.

Works every time. :)

[Sal Minella]

10. I just keep saying "Please put me on your Do Not Call List" over and over until they hang up.

[Sal Minella]

11. I like the "I'll let you talk to Lieutenant Murphy" line better! Ha!

[sarcasmo]

12. SCAM!

[immoderate]

13. I've heard this is a scam from several sources.

I've also received calls to donate something to "support the troops."

--IMM

[Recursion]

14. Give through your local police or firefighters union

Almost all of them have a charitable foundation to accept giving; often it's to help disabled cops/firefighters or bereft families.

Unions in action: they beat communism and apartheid; they can do anything...

[sam sarrha]

15. they only have to actually give the charity 15% of the loot, keep the rest, that is how the ReThug

senators wives 'charities' launder DHLS money from bakeries, petting zoos, abramof and drug dealers into the Republican party

[DCKit]

18. "The Police Widows and Orphans Fund" only distributes 5%

The rest is salaries and overhead.

Give locally to charities you know are doing the work.

On edit:

Forgot to mention - I told them I'd donate if and when I ever saw any cops in my neighborhood. We don't go out after dark around here.

[DFW]

16. If I'm home and I get one of those calls

For some reason, the only language I can think to speak in is Swedish.
It usually works.

[silverlib]

17. Not a non--profit...

I did my research some years ago, so now I just tell them that I only donate to nonprofits and that shuts them down. No association can qaulify as a nonprofit.

[MiniMe]

21. Yes, they can be a non-profit, but a different designation

I work for an association, and we are a 501(c)(6) instead of a (c)(3). Still a non-profit, but not a charity. If I miss picking up what it is on my caller ID, I tell them I don't donate over the phone and to mail me the information. Strange, I never get anything. Or they try to tell me that they don't mail out information.

[Djinn]

19. one scam I'd never fall for

"raising funds" for my state's police department, then tells me the call is being recorded for some purpose, then tells me they will send stickers in support of my police and all the good work my police do(which they do)

Coppers must be a whole lot different in your neck of the woods

[Tab]

20. In terms of good work?

Actually they do good work, and they care. I try to minimize my interactions, but when I've had to call them (home was vandalzied, etc) they've been quite good.

And the police department's (usually state police) will occasionally send out fund raising stuff, to my knowledge they don't do phone calls. They are a state-funded agency for goodness sake.

I don't want to say 100% of these are invalid, but probably 95% are, and you should ask to see it on paper. If they refuse (or hang up), that should be major red flag #1 that it's a scam. You could also check with your police/fire/whatever to see if they've approved a fundraiser - chances are either they haven't, or they don't know they're getting only a few percentage points of the "raising".

[Djinn]

30. in terms of me ever giving them my hard earned

I used to feel differently but I'm only 30, my criminal past consists of smoking pot and the occasional protest/peace disturbance related guff, yet my interactions with the cops include:

* Waiting for a friend (who had broken NO laws) in casualty after 4 cops beat the crap out of him
* Supporting another friend in his attempt to get justice after coppers literally almost killed him, and left him permanently impaired, with a beating
* Being sexually assaulted (as were most of the other women in our group) by several cops in one evening when I had the misfortune of ending up at a club they were holding a party in
* Being surrounded by coppers late at night in the middle of nowhere and threatened with rape resulting from my involvement in above friends police "complaint"

This is ignoring the litany of minor abuses.

It's not that the cops did all of this (bad apples in every bunch - even if they seem to have a particularly poor crop) but the fact that all their cop buddies gathered around and LIED to cover up the violent illegal behavior of their colleagues. When it's the entire command doing it the bad apples line is harder to swallow.

Either way I'm just glad this isn't an issue here - police would never fundraise, ever. If they did I don't know if I could hold my tongue and I've seen what cops do when you piss them off.

[MiniMe]

22. I tell them that I don't donate over the phone, and to mail me the information

They will mail something if they are legit, and will try to tell you that they don't mail information out if they aren't, trying to claim that don't want that expense. I tell them that means that they don't want my money.

[Vinca]

24. Tell them you'll drive over to the state police barracks and

write them a check. The only charity professional fundraisers are working for is their own.

[Le Taz Hot]

25. What few resources I can donate

I do so locally. When I donate a turkey to the Poverello House (feeds over 1,000 people a day), I can literally track that turkey from my truck to the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw to the oven to people consuming it. I don't ever have to wonder what happened to my donation.

[flashl]

26. K&R n/t

[spanone]

27. professional charity solicitors....hang up

[HiddenInVA]

28. Sounds familiar....

These bozos called us a few months back.

She was going on about how they support firefighters, how much good they do, etc. (I'm a FF, and I
personally know where the various $$ comes from that go into our accounts.)

"Oh, so you contribute to XYZ FD in ________?"
"Yes sir, we contributed a sizable amount within the past 6 months."

"Hmmmm... do you have a figure on that?"
"Well, sir, that's a confidential matter between ourselves and the department."

"Well, I find that interesting, since I work with the treasurer, and I can quote you verbatim where
our funding has come from over the past year."

"Errr....." <CLICK!>

Yeah, that's what I thought.....

[Dorian Gray]

29. Never pledge money over the phone

Not for any charity! Being in the business myself, I just say, "I'm sorry! I work for a non-profit. I don't make any pledges without reviewing materials first. If you send me something, I MAY make a donation."

The most argumentative people are the Metropolitan Opera. They are freaking annoying! If you buy tickets to an opera, they end up calling you once a week! I used to get a lot of calls from the types of charities that you are talking about (Policeman's benevolence type orgs.), and they can be quite rude if you say "no." When they are rude to me, I've asked to speak to a supervisor. Since they are soliciting for donations, they should always be really respectful. When they aren't, then they've obviously been trained to intimidate you into donating. Which is awful. Don't feel guilty for saying no!