From time to time I receive calls like these, and I'm happy to give $20 here and there. To put my mind at ease that I wasn't being scammed, I myself did a little research to make sure my money was going to the correct place.

I'm fully aware not 100% of my contribution is going to the charity, and do not expect it to. These charities contract companies, like the telemarketing ones, to run their campaigns. And it's not cheap to do you. You obviously need callers, you need to somehow come up with a list of people to call, you need office space, phone lines, equipment, printing and mail supplies, postage and handling. A lot goes into something like this.

For the police/veterans, it sure beats standing on the corner with a can collecting spare change from cars as they pass by. You people act like the fundraiser is pocketing 99% of the money. After the costs of running the campaign, the profits are split about 50/50, and the charity has to do NOTHING and makes out with a nice chunk of change.

As a Vietnam Veteran myself, I know how hard it is for the VVA and DVA to raise money, so any company willing to do that for us is okay in my book.

One of the biggest scams are those candy machines / coin jars you see at the cash registers of stores with a picture of a needy child on them. Those stores pay a one time fee of about $5 for those jars and get to keep all the cash you put in it for as long as they keep it out there.

No message

I dont know if anyone still reads this but i'll put it up anyway. I've worked for this company and it is absolutely terrible, run by terrible people, the worst of the worst. I've listened to enough of the banter by the brain dead mangers who run these placex to feel I have a pretty good idea on how it works. CSI, gives the charity organizations X amount of money and CSI takes the rest of the profit they make on X amount of money, thats why it's not illegal. They're required to give at least 1% of the proceeds to the charity organization. A way to get them into trouble is to listen to hear if they tell you that the call is being recorded as well as if they state that they are a paid caller by outreach calling. Ask them questions as well to see if you can get the callers (who are not that intelligent) to slip up and tell you something that is false. It is legal and it is a dam shame, they make most of their money by preying on people who are not aware that they are actually giving to a telemarketing company. The best thing you can do is spread the word to everyone you know, but this leach of a company calls all parts of the country so it is virtually impossible to stop them, but give it a try because these people should all rot in hell.

Have gotten this phone call now for years.  My spouse has Alzheimers and was giving away money without my knowledge for quite some time.  Now that I've caught his error I screen all the calls.  When I won't allow him to answer, the caller, "Tom," is one of the rudest people I've ever talked to. I have repeatedly asked to be taken off their calling list with no results.  He calls at all hours, makes nasty accusations.  What makes someone like this think I'll give them the time of day, much less our money?  My charitable giving goes to those genuinely needy in my own community.

If it were a legitimate charity, clowns like you wouldn't be coming on here to insult people.  What did you think you were "defending" anyway, moron?

You must have never served for our country fagboy.....if your not interested your a pathetic loser.....Dont Tread on Me.......

Eat S***

Caller: High this is Kevin from the Vietnam Veterans how are you?

Me: I'm sorry but I'm not able to give this year.

Caller: Oh, your not giving this year? (elevated tone) Thanks allot buddy.

Click.

complained to the BBB and to the FCC.  The FCC said this company is not in violation, can you belive it? The company that's doing this is Community Support, Inc. The real phone number is 800-303-3306. They use a device that displays a bogus caller i.d. phone number and are rude and uncoopertative when you ask them to stop calling. This is the company's obnoxious website: http://www.csimoney.com/careers.htm  Also, the president's name of this company is Tom Berkenbush. So, feel free to  complain by filing. Click here to see their history: http://www.bbb.org/wisconsin/business-reviews ... kee-wi-32001794   think that complaining to the BBB will work better and calling this company directly to be removed from their calling list will force them to comply with the FCC regulations since it is a For Profit company.

I complained to the BBB and to the FCC.  The FCC said this company is not in violation, can you belive it? The company that's doing this is Community Support, Inc. The real phone number is 800-303-3306. They use a device that displays a bogus caller i.d. phone number and are rude and uncoopertative when you ask them to stop calling. This is the company's obnoxious website: http://www.csimoney.com/careers.htm  Also, the president's name of this company is Tom Berkenbush. So, feel free to  complain by filing. Click here to see their history: http://www.bbb.org/wisconsin/business-reviews ... kee-wi-32001794   think that complaining to the BBB will work better and calling this company directly to be removed from their calling list will force them to comply with the FCC regulations since it is a For Profit company.

Gaabi, thanks for your info too. I complained to the BBB as well and to the FCC.  The FCC said this company is not in violation, can you belive it? Teh company that's doing this is Community Support, Inc., real phone number is 800-303-3306. They use a device that displays a bogus caller i.d. phone number and are rude and uncoopertative when you ask them to stop calling. This is the companies obnoxious website: http://www.csimoney.com/careers.htm  Also, the president's name of this company is Tom Berkenbush. So, feel free to keep complaining. I think that complaining to the BBB will work better and calling this company directly to be removed from their calling list will force them to comply to FCC regulations since it is a For Profit company.

answered but nobody would respond sounded like telemarketers in back ground; tried to call them.....invalid number.

They're not selling anything - they want a money donation in the name of Vietnam Vets which is a scam.  Don't give them any info.  Click on the link given in all Lisa's posts & file a formal complaint - I just did.  Happy to see this page when I put the number in Google.

Lisa,  Thanks for the link to the FCC.  I looked up this number that's been calling my home since 2/13/09 & found the site full of complaints.  I just filled out the official form & thank you again for making it so easy for me.

Got the call from 757 056 3699.  The caller asked for my wife by name, When he said I'll call back later I asked "who is this and what do you want".  He said he was John Davis and that he was requesting money for Navy Veterans.  I told him I was not interested and hung up.

Answered phone at work, heard caller say, "turn up the volume" to somebody then said, "yes, is Ivan there? Ivan Smallwood?". Hung up. Lame prank.

Correction to my last post: The National Vietnam Veterans Foundation is a real non-profit organizaiton using a company to make these unethcial calls: The company responsible is: Community Support, Inc. a paid, for profit, fund-raising company located at 312 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 408, Milbwaukee, WE 53202.  There real phone number is 800-303-3306. Please ignore my last request of reporting the true foundation to the FCC and report the company doing the dirty work instaed.

FCC: http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm
Caller ID: 757-056-3699
Caller: Community Support, Inc.
Caller Type: Telemarketer

Correction to my last post: The National Vietnam Veterans Foundation is a real non-profit organizaiton using a company to make these unethcial calls: The company responsible is: Community Support, Inc. a paid, for profit, fund-raising company located at 312 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 408, Milbwaukee, WE 53202.  There real phone number is 800-303-3306. Please ignore my last request of reporting the true foundation to the FCC and report the company doing the dirty work instaed.

FCC: http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm

I promised to follow up with more information about this unethcial company and here's the scoop.  Don't just read it...complain to the FCC and make them pay. This company uses a device that confuses your caller ID by showing an invalid phone number 757-056-3699.  The company and address is: National Vietnam Veterans Foundation, 1380 Monroe St. N.W. #300, Washington, D.C. 2010. A caller by the name of Tom Parker (if that's his real name) called. Do not think you're going up against Uncle Sam, it's not an Uncle Sam division. The real foundation can be found here: http://www.secstate.wa.gov/charities/search_detail.aspx?charity_id=23184.  File a formal complaint to the FCC by going to: http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm.  Let's annoy and even punish this company for their unethical practices.

Rude

757-056-3699 - obviously not a valid number. It's a shame there are so many ways to get around the "do not call" process, and this is one of them.

I got a call from this number and it was for some Veterans association. I said I was in the middle of serving my children dinner and he started talking anyway so I hung up on him.  Today I got another call, Sunday morning 9:00 AM and no one said anything.

This phone number is in the state of Virginia, the Hampton Roads, Newport, Williamsburg area.  It sounds like it's a telemarketing boiler room.  I'm making a complaint to their BBB, the FCC and the Virginia and my state attorney general's offices. I'll give them the phone number and tell them that the owner's name was blocked and I couldn't find it online but it sounds like a telemarketing company calling on behalf American Veterans.  You should particularly do this if they've been threatening, insulting, called your cell phone, etc.

FCC complaints re telemarketing calls:
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/donotcall/

Hampton Roads BBB
http://norfolk.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx? ... 59-846c0634d223

Virginia state attorney general's office complaints:
http://www.vaag.com/CONSUMER/CONSUMER_FRAUD/C ... rginia_Business

These guys use a device that tricks your caller id to show an invalid phone number which is why the call block phone feature won't work. Next time they call, I'm buying whatever they're selling and come back here to tell you folks who they are.

they keep calling and hangup. called one a day for the last 6 day around 10 o'clock am pc time. cant return cal number incorrect.

called and kept saying hello and then asked if i was retarded i hung up he called right back this time called me a f..... b i hung up then he called back said my name address and said ok boys she is home go get her i again hung up and called the police

Called, my wife picked up, they asked for me. Did not say any name. On informing I was not home, hung up.

I just received a call from this number (they called my cell phone) and I picked up but no one answered.  When I tried to call back Verizon said the # could not be completed as dialed. This is one of the reasons we canceled our landline - too many of these annoying calls.

This same number is on my caller id each day I come home from work. I wish they would just give up!

I have left a few comments re. this number. They just called again. I answered and told the guy the person he was looking for is not home and I asked him to leave a message he said tell her Ralph called and then he hung up. The caller ID says Verginia calling.

This number has been calling my house every day a couple times a day for a couple of weeks. Today I finally answered it and they hung up. I tried to call back and is says the number can not be completed as dialed. I have the number on my caller id and I have tried dialing it over and over again. I just want to know who or what organization it is.