We have received 2 calls from a similar number (330-638-4423) & we did speak to someone - the 1st did not want to send any supporting information by post, just told us to "check out the website" (which, of course, just says exactly what the company or charity wants it to say), & the 2nd man insisted that his should have been the 1st call we ever had & seemed shocked that it was our 2nd. In any case I told him no & that was that. Now I know that the charity Cops for Kids is legitimate (although I deplore these 'phone fund-raisers as they are not very efficient as far as results for any charities are concerned) but I do not expect to hear from them as either "unknown name, unknown number" NOR from a number that is listed as one belonging to a Michael Thomas, especially when the name on the call is a Hector Hernandez! The charities may very well be legit --- but these calls are NOT! They use false names, untraceable numbers - why should they not illegally use genuine charity names as well? After all, NO ONE has any control over these numbers that are used! Simple rule --- do not donate money over the phone! Find another way to help your chosen charity...

Yeah I get calls like this all the time...like today but from a different number 5 mos ago got a call from Sandusky same exact call I contacted the Ohio Branch in Columbus and he looked into it, was fraud I will never under any circumstance donate over the phone again! If these folks need funds set up shop where I can hand it to you and look you in the eye! Today the man told me he was Mark Johnson I contacted Mark Johnson and told him about it...he works at the local TV station...I also gave him their number!

This is a clip from a Portsmouth, Ohio newspaper from a while ago. I too have given donations to this organization in the past. Not any more! Any organization that ONLY GETS 19 PERCENT OF MY DONATION is only supporting the fundraiser to which they have subscribed. Ohio Cops For Kids might be legit, but they should have their own people soliciting so that the donations go to the KIDS rather than the fundraisers. Please read this!


?When somebody calls up soliciting for a charitable donation, just know who you are speaking with,? he said. ?If they are a solicitor for an organization, they have to say they are a solicitor and they are soliciting for a charity and give its address.?

He added you can ask how much of the donation goes to the charity.

He said that in the case of Ohio Cops for Kids, 19 percent goes to the charity.

?For the year ending 2004, the total expenses were $14,492 of which only $98 was expensed as program services (goes to Ohio Cops for Kids),? he said. According to the Attorney General's Office, the balance of the expenses was attributed to management, general and fund raising. The 2005 financial report is to be filed with the AG's Office next month.

I learned that if you ask them to remove your number by law they have to they have 30 to do it but if you receive any calls after 30 day of askin them to that is a felony for the person that calls you back and the company

Calls all the time. Does not leave any message.

These calls are inappropriate only in the sense that they use an official State of Ohio caller ID which may very well be legit however, most people assume the worst when receiving this type of call and panic if they happen to miss the call or are out of town when the call comes through.  I for one, am angry when I answer this call only to find out that it's a call for charity, so angry in fact, that I will continue to refuse to donate to this cause for that reason alone.

Got a call from STATE OF OHIO on Sunday, March 6, 2001, at 4:52PM.

Got a call from 1-330-438-4041 at about 9pm--caller ID said State of Ohio or I wouldn't have even answered. They didn't say anything and hung up after I said "hello" twice.  I called them back, number was busy...after that, there was an answering machine that was too full to leave them a message, NOT TO CALL ME BACK!

There are a lot of real charities out there, and if you want to make a donation, send it directly to that orginization. The people who call you on the phone are nothing but scam artist. The main thing they don't tell you is that what ever you donate to them, only a small portion go to the charity itsself. So why should you make them rich while the charity only gets the minimal amount that they give to stay under their charity status.

What kind of telephone system allows j-off crooks like this to list a phone no. under "State of Ohio ...."

I'm retired and a surviving Cancer fighter. I too have a "marshmallow" spouse who can't say no. She's still working, so I get driven nuts by calls like this all day, every day.

I've had two of these calls a couple of months apart. The caller asks me if I am Mr. Soandso. I say yes and he simply hangs up. I call back and get a recording that doesn't identify them either.

For those of you who are championing the Cops for Kids program, great. I'm sure it's a swell charity. But if this is their means of cold-calling, it's foolish. Good cause or not, this is ridiculous way of looking for donations and I won't do business with them. All of my charitable giving is initiated by myself. I don't trust calls out of the blue. Caller Id can be spoofed.

Yeah, sure the STATE OF OHIO is working at 8:15 pm on Martin Luther King day.. Sure they are,, STOP calling me for money!!

Unfortunately, Do Not Call, doesn't apply to charities.  They're free to bug you as much as they want to.  Most do not take no for an answer.

Francine..and the rest of the negative people.  Yes..there is a teddy bear program, there is a shop with cops program and so on.  Most of the people who cold call are NOT selling ANYTHING..theyre just doing a job and asking for help, not for them or a company or an individual, but for a CAUSE.  
When a trooper pulls someone over, the parent may have a warrant, or there may be some reason the child sees the parent being taken away.  The trooper has a teddy bear with him to give that child in hopes that maybe that will help the child to cope.
Before you throw your arms up and holler your being scammed or what have you.  Simply answer your phone and tell them to call back...do a little foot work thru your local police dept and the nearest Hiway Patrol post.  Its just that simple.
Oh..BTW.  Im a former Deputy Marshal and one of those callers you gripe about disturbing you.  I ll leave this one note with you...How would you feel if your child/grandchild was sitting there seeing mommy/ daddy hurt, or being taken away???
Think on that before you bi***.

I just received a call from 330-438-4041.  Caller ID said State of Ohio. It was a young man saying he was calling for Cops For Kids, and they provide teddy bears to kids in an emergency situation.  I asked if they provided teddy bears to local police division, and he said yes because obviously they don't know when there's be an accident. He wanted me to donate to it.  I informed him that I worked at the local Police Station, and in all my years of employment, we had never been given any teddy bears from his organization to give to kids.  He struggled with his words, and had to gall to tell me that I must have misunderstood him.  Not hardly.   Check with your local Better Business Bureau before you send them even one penny people.

?When somebody calls up soliciting for a charitable donation, just know who you are speaking with,? he said. ?If they are a solicitor for an organization, they have to say they are a solicitor and they are soliciting for a charity and give its address.?

He added you can ask how much of the donation goes to the charity.

He said that in the case of Ohio Cops for Kids, 19 percent goes to the charity.


http://portsmouth-dailytimes.com/bookmark/1578963-Cops-for-Kids-is-legit

I am a retired police chief in Ohio and the Ohio Cops for kids is a legitimate charity that is registered with the AG and the IRS as a 501C3 charity.  They primarily utilize their funds for shop with a cop and the buckeye teddy bear program.  If you all would focus more on helping children in your community and not slandering Ohio's number one children's charity we would all be a part of a better community in Ohio.  If you want to  check them out go to their site!  They are legit.  www.ohiocopsforkids.com

Received a phone call on Sunday 10/31/2010 at 8:05, answered it was the State of Ohio, realized it was a wrong call or prank. As stated from a previous complaint they aren't even working at this time. The only thing is it really could be the State of Ohio b/c of the State Highway Patrol, (accident). They did hang up after I said Hello several times. When I did call the number back a recorded message went off to leave a message. I just hung-up.

Received a telephone call on 10/25/10 from State of Ohio 438-4041 on answer machine--didn't leave message. I knew it was a fake call because it was recorded as being made at 12:50 P.M.-ain't no county worker calling at lunchtime.

Someone from this number called us and reached my hubby, who becomes as malleable as a marshmallow when asked by someone for a donation.  All the caller has to have is a good story and a pleading voice. In this case it was an elderly-sounding man who kept my hubby on the phone for a good ten minutes while he pitched his story. In the end my husband promised to donate $7.50 to Ohio Cops for Kids. Can't find anything wrong with this program except for the fact that they disregarded my being on the Do Not Call list. No matter..when I get the bill I will write back with a nice letter and no money, instructing them in nice, plain English, to kindly remove my number from their cold calling list.

I get these state of ohio calls and usually it is asking for a donation. tonight i decided not to answer, they didn't leave a message, called back at 8:20 and i picked up and hung up since family sleeping and the j***off called back 4 times!!! had to let it go to answering machine so they wouldn't call back, hopefully they won't call back later tonight.....ughhhh

received  a call from 3304384041.  They hung up when I answered.  I did not choose to call back.  Why do people do these things.

No response when I answered the call. I called this number back to be sure it was not a legitimate concern for Ohio taxes (business related) or I thought perhaps it could be Ohio State Patrol with an accident message regarding a family member. However, 2-3 minutes later, I received a telemarketing call for FREE CRUISES .... Esta Sol was on the caller ID with 402-982-0507. I then dialed 9 to have my number removed from their calling list.