just got a call

Call came in at 8am this is unreal! Ask them to stop calling, if and when I can give I will but stop calling I give local not to a telemarketing office that only gives maybe 10 cents on the dollar, looking to call State Atty. Office for I too have requested time and time again they stop calling...

Received call from this number about 2:30pm 5/18/2010.  Didn't answer (seldom answer toll free incoming calls) and no message was left.  No idea who was calling, but annoying to receive these.

It's an Online Indian Pharm / Viagra

That is your responsibilty

While telemarketers calling on behalf of Charities are EXEMPT from do not call laws - they are required to put you on THEIR do not call list for that Specific charity when YOU TELL THEM TO.


DNC ? Third Party Callers on behalf of Charities

However, if a third-party telemarketer is calling on behalf of a charity, a consumer may ask not to receive any more calls from, or on behalf of, that specific charity. If a third-party telemarketer calls again on behalf of that charity, the telemarketer may be subject to a fine of up to $16,000 .

While the Fraternal Order of Police is a legitimate charity - IT DOES NOT MEAN that those calling "CLAIMING" to be collecting on their behalf are LEGITIMATE at all.

NEVER DONATE TO TELEMARKETERS - DONATE DIRECTLY TO THE CHARITY ITSELF. And remind the charity that NO ONE WANTS CALLS from TELEMARKETERS - PERIOD!

Telemarketers KEEP most of the donations they generate and very little actually goes to the charity itself.

Charities that USE telemarketers actually lose donations - because NO ONE WANTS TO RECEIVE calls from TELEMARKETERS at all - so they refuse to donate to charity that USE them





Feds, States Target Charity Scams
Bogus telemarketers claim to help police, firefighters, veterans
Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/05/ftc_charity.html#ixzz0NVdJ10Qx

Massachusetts Puts Charity Telemarketers On Hold
Consumers not told fundraisers were pros

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/06 ... ixzz0LA5gEkHH&D


California Sues Charities For Stealing Donations To Public Servants
Multiple lawsuits agains telemarketers, donors for deceptive practices and fraud.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/scam_alerts/scam_alerts.htm#ixzz0LA5vSxWI&D

Stingy? Fundraiser Banned In Washington State
Company accused of duping Jaycees chapters and donors


April 24, 2010

A for-profit fundraiser that solicited donations for Jaycees chapters and other charities throughout Western Washington, as well as fake charities, will no longer solicit donations under a settlement with the Washington Attorney General?s Office.
In its lawsuit, the Attorney General accused Charitable Assistance Group, Inc., of Seattle, and its predecessor, Direct Funding, Inc., of violating state consumer protection and charitable solicitations laws. Also named as defendants were three company officials and solicitors: Justin McGuinn and his father, Joseph Michael McGuinn, both of Seattle, and Jennifer Bartlett aka Virginia Bartlett, of Vancouver.
The defendants had contracts to solicit donations for the Washington Junior Chamber (Jaycees) and Jaycees chapters in Renton, Kirkland and Vancouver; as well as the Firefighters Assistance Fund, Vietnow National Headquarters dba Veterans Now, Veterans Charitable Foundation and the Disabled Police Officers Guild of America.
?We believe the defendants duped the Jaycees and individual donors by misrepresenting how contributions would be spent,? said Assistant Attorney General Shannon Smith. ?The defendants were stingy and kept most of the money for themselves. Under this settlement, they agree to no longer solicit for any charity in Washington.?
The state?s complaint accused the defendants of misrepresenting how donations were spent, creating an impression that paid solicitors were volunteers for the charities, soliciting for organizations that weren?t registered as charities with the Secretary of State?s Office and failing to submit required reports to the Secretary of State?s Office.
The defendants also were accused of soliciting donations to purchase Spinoza Buddy Bears to distribute to hospitalized children in the Puget Sound, despite lacking authorization from the toy?s manufacturer. And they were accused of soliciting for a number of fake charities such as the ?Northwest Firefighters.?
According to records filed with the Secretary of State?s Office, only 9 percent of the $183,814 in charitable donations raised by the defendants went to their clients. In 2007, the defendants returned only 5 percent of the $319,723 they raised.
As a condition of the settlement, all of the defendants have agreed not to solicit charitable contributions in the state of Washington.
Defendant Joseph McGuinn violated a 1996 settlement that restricts his ability to solicit donations. In that case, McGuinn and his wife, while operating a fundraising company known as Diamond Vision Consulting and Tri-Star Promotion Corporation, were accused of falsely claiming promotions were authorized by the Seattle Seahawks and local police and firefighter organizations.

Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/04 ... l#ixzz0mIwunEau

States Warn Against Dubious Charities
Attorneys General warn citizens about professional solicitors


December 9, 2009

Consumers have to walk something of a tightrope this time of year. Holidays are always an expensive time, yet many want to support charities and worthwhile causes. But the last thing you want to do is have your contribution line the pockets of the solicitor.
In Oregon, Attorney General John Kroger unveiled a list of Oregon's 20 Worst Charities and offered tips to consumers on how to donate wisely.
"In the middle of a recession, it is more important than ever that generous Oregonians make charitable contributions to organizations that help veterans and others who are in need," Kroger said. "It is critical, however, that people donate wisely. Although many charities do great work, some are little more than scams with good-sounding names but that do little to actually help the people they claim to support."
State law requires charities to file periodic financial reports with the Oregon Department of Justice disclosing how much money the organization raised and how the funds were spent. The Department's Charitable Activities Section has identified 20 organizations (see attached) that spent more than 75 percent of the donations they collected on administrative costs and professional fundraising.
While guidelines issued by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) suggest that charitable organizations should spend at least 65 percent of their funds on charitable programs, every charity on the Department of Justice's list devoted less than 25 percent of their expenditures on charitable program activities.
One organization near the top of the list, Shiloh International Ministries, solicits donations to provide medical necessities and other support to needy children, veterans, and homeless persons. According to the most recent financial filings, the California-based nonprofit spent an average of $1,023,215 per year, 96.35 percent of which went to management and fundraising.
Kentucky concerns
Unscrupulous charity solicitations are not just confined to one area of the country. With double-digit unemployment rates in Kentucky, for example, more Kentucky families are in need of a helping hand this holiday season.
Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway says people who give to a charity should give wisely. Unfortunately, he says, there are unscrupulous or even fraudulent charities that prey on the generosity of Kentuckians.
"Every dollar donated to a reputable charity can make a difference in the life of someone who may be struggling to put food on the table or clothe a child," Conway said. "Irresponsible or fraudulent charities not only take advantage of the kindness of hard-working Kentuckians, they deprive those who need our help. Before you decide whether a charity deserves your donation, gather as much information as possible to make sure the charity is not a scam and that your donation reaches someone in need."
Both Kroger and Conway offer these tips for wise holiday giving:
? Donate to charities you know and trust.
? Be cautious of sound-alike charities and solicitors unable to answer questions.
? Always ask what percentage of your dollar goes to the cause.
? Don't be pressured into making a donation.
? Ask if the charity or solicitor is registered with the Office of the Attorney General.


Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/12 ... l#ixzz0ZI59oXXw

New Jersey-based Telephone Fundraisers Banned from Soliciting Donations
Consumers tricked into believing all donations would help local police, firefighters, and vets


By James Limbach
ConsumerAffairs.com
April 2, 2010
The operators of a New Jersey-based telemarketing scheme will pay a record $18.8 million and leave the charitable donation business to settle charges that they violated a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) order.
Civic Development Group, LLC; CDG Management LLC; and owners Scott Pasch and David Keezer are accused of misleading consumers to believe they were donating directly to legitimate charities serving police, firefighters, and veterans. In fact, only a small slice of the donations actually went to these charities.
The civil penalty is the largest ever in an FTC consumer protection case and the agency says it should deter others from violating Commission orders and from deceiving consumers and harming legitimate charities.
"This scheme packed a one-two punch: it deceived the people who donated, and it siphoned much-needed funds from police, firefighters, and veterans groups," said David Vladeck, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "The court's final settlement order packs a one-two punch of its own: a record-breaking financial penalty for violating an FTC order and a lifetime ban on soliciting charitable donations."
"Firms and individuals should not mislead the public when soliciting donations for charitable organizations," said Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. "The Justice Department will take action when a telemarketer violates an FTC order and takes unfair advantage of the generosity of donors by providing only a small fraction of donations for the charitable purposes for which they were intended."
Under the settlements, the defendants are permanently banned from telemarketing and soliciting charitable donations, and prohibited from making false claims about anything they sell.
Defendants Pasch and Keezer are required to turn over numerous assets to a court-appointed liquidator. Pasch will surrender a $2 million home; paintings by Picasso and Van Gogh valued collectively at $1.4 million; a guitar collection valued at $800,000; $270,000 in proceeds from a recently sold wine collection; jewelry valued at $117,000; three Mercedes, a Bentley, and various other assets. Keezer will turn over a $2 million home, a Range Rover, a Cadillac Escalade, and a Bentley, among other assets.
According to the complaint, Civic Development Group's telemarketers deceived consumers by telling them that they worked directly for the charities they called about, and that "100 percent" of the consumers' donations would go to those charities.
Group has shady history
The FTC first sued Civic Development Group in 1998, charging that telemarketers working for the company's corporate predecessor misled consumers by falsely claiming that their donations would be used locally to buy bullet-proof vests and provide death benefits for deceased officers' surviving family members.
In 2007, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a second complaint referred by the FTC, which alleged that the defendants had violated the prior FTC order. The complaint charged that the defendants tried to circumvent state and federal telemarketing regulations by mischaracterizing themselves as "Professional Management Consultants" who were operating independently from Civic Development Group.
In fact, they continued hiring, firing, managing, and paying the telemarketers. The telemarketers, in turn, continued to falsely tell consumers they worked directly for the charities, which received "100 percent" of the donations collected. In fact, the charities received only 10 to 15 percent of the donations, and the balance went to Civic Development Group, the complaint stated.
And, just over a year ago, Civic Development was among 17 telemarketers sued by the state of California.
In addition to the other settlement provisions, the defendants must take reasonable steps to ensure that their employees comply with the settlement, and comply with standard FTC record-keeping and reporting requirements.
Helpful hints
To keep from getting scammed by "charity" solicitors, here are some tips to remember before making a donation:
? Ask how much of the donation will actually go to the charity (as opposed to the solicitor).
? Always get an address, phone number and contact name.
? Beware of sound-alike names.
? Ask questions, read and listen carefully to all of the information that is presented to you.
? If you donate, do not give cash.
? Be skeptical of excessive pressure for on-the-spot donations.
? Do not give credit card numbers or personal information over the phone.
? Call your state attorney general's Office to check on a charity's status.
State and federal governments have been working together to put an end to such charity telemarketing scammers.



Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/04 ... l#ixzz0jwZVVPtO

these people constantly change their number to haras people some one please do something

and they don't leave messages on machines..7:42 pm came in

Calls as early as 8am.  Constantly getting calls from police asking for donations.  Tired of it.

The FLORIDA STATE FOP POLICE UNION serves members with legal council, union negotiation, and maintains an up-to-date listing of state pay scales.
877-367-7718

www.wafop.com

FOP - franternal order of police charity work