Things to consider from the Federal Trade Commission when a "hero charity" tries to bully your wallet open ....

Fundraisers Calling on Behalf of Police and Firefighters
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0085-fun ... nd-firefighters
[excerpt]  Simply having the words ?police? or ?firefighter? in an organization?s name doesn?t mean police or firefighters are members of the group. Just because an organization claims it has local ties or works with local police or firefighters doesn?t mean contributions will be used locally or for public safety.

Donating to Public Safety Fundraisers
http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus31-donating-public-safety-fundraisers
[excerpt]  Most police and fire departments are funded by your tax dollars. However, they may ask you to contribute to their professional associations or labor unions at local, state, or national levels. These groups typically use paid fundraisers to solicit donations. Be cautious: simply having the words ''police'' or ''firefighter'' in an organization?s name doesn?t mean police or firefighters are members of the group ? or benefit from it. Call your local police or fire department to verify any fundraiser?s claims.

Before Giving to a Charity
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0074-giving-charity

Charitable Solicitations for Vet & Military Families
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0121-cha ... litary-families


What's more, always remember that "nonprofit" is a tax category, not a reflection of where money goes. You are likely to find that most if not all charity calls are placed by a commercial fundraiser, such as Associated Community Services, Dial America, Donor Care Center, Donor Services Group, Harris Direct, Horizon Marketing, InfoCision, Insight Teleservices, MDS, and TeleFund. These companies typically swallow half or more of collected funds. What's left can often funnel straight to the salaries and overhead of their "charity" client executives, leaving pennies for the people you're told your dollars benefit. That, of course, assumes the charity is not simply a pure fraud.

As commercial entities, hired call centers are expected to honor an internal no-call list and add any number upon request. Break that order, the FTC declares, and ''the telemarketer may be subject to a fine of up to $16,000.'' They are also covered to a point by other regulations for telepests, so you can report abandoned calls, canned calls to mobile phones, and so on.

In a comment from Nov 2012 linked below, find the simple steps I took to rid myself of a major pain boiler room by politely rubbing its face in federal laws. You will note that I never rely on verbal cease-communication demands.
http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-914-294-2543/7#p480457181536419195

The Northern Plains Eye Foundation in Rapid City, SD .... couldn't be much more different from a "friends of police" group. Either NPEF is another client of the same telemarketer, meaning the rep got his scripts confused, or the "hero charity" is another fraud.

MCImetro Access Transmission Services is a phone carrier, NOT related to auto repair, and NOT the call source. Presumably you saw a default Caller ID name string.

Very pushy telemarketer with no class, asking for money for police officers. Don't think it's legit.

Called at 8:30P and hung up when answering machine answered.
Same thing happened from 401-424-9190 at the same time last week.  No message.

Called caliming to be collecting donations for injured police officers. I asked for a web address, he gave me -- http://npef.org/ -- I told himm eto hold on while I checked it. He hung up.

SCAM

Called and just stayed on the line saying nothing.... as my husband said HELLO over and over and over.... prank caller - some Transmission repair shop in RI....