In a nationwide, federal-state crackdown on fraudulent telemarketers claiming to help police, firefighters, and veterans, the Federal Trade Commission, together with 61 Attorneys General, Secretaries of State, and other law enforcers of 49 states and the District of Columbia, today announced Operation False Charity. Im calling on behalf of the National Save the Police Fund,* the voice on the phone told me. "The words police and words firefighter are not trademarked," Kemerer explained, "so it is very easy for scammers to use those names and create fake organizations. Authorities issue warning about pro-police mail scam - The Union California resident Kellie Van Westen, 69, said she has family members who are law enforcement officers and that she believed the roughly $1,400 she donated since 2019 would help bolster local police budgets and pay for equipment to keep them safe.. Terms & conditions/privacy policy apply https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com/terms-of-service/, Contributions to the National Police Support Fund are not tax deductible. First Responders Children's Foundation. She verified my information and repeatedly asked me to promise to mail it back as soon as I received it. Is an organization that supports police for donations a charity "Being that it was a recording right off the bat . Claire Reiss, 79, said she thought the more than $2,000 she donated would go to injured police and their families, but that she stopped giving away her money when the calls just wouldnt stop. Verify: Law enforcement charity phone calls - KSDK I told him that I had some questions for him before I would donate. Kids Wish Network, however, spends only 3 cents of every dollar collected on kids. Three other IUPA executives earned more than $100,000 apiece during fiscal 2017-2018. Below are our favorite charities for law enforcement: National Police Foundation. United Police Fund / National Police Fund scam harassment. Bass, who set up several other super PACs, declined to comment. Scam PACs? Two Groups Claim To Support Vets And Cops While - Forbes One of the more successful scams is when the scammer poses as one of many charities benefitting Law Enforcement. A secretive political group has been pulling in millions of dollars in recent months amid a growing Blue Lives Matter movement, with a cadre of telemarketers urgently telling Americans that now is the time to support the police and keep them safe. So what happened to the other approximately 33% of . "My brother was a police officer, my cousin was a cop and one of my sons is a cop," she said. Recommended Reading: How Many Hours To Become A Police Officer, Read Also: What Education Do I Need To Be A Police Officer. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. The funds raised during their 4-day long ride are donated directly to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. One of Fotis websites solicits money for individuals who were guilty of a crime for doing their job the way they were trained to do it. It turns out Police and Fire Retirees of Ohio is a legitimate non profit lobbying group, though it is not a charity under IRS rules. This comes at a time when some community activists have been calling for defunding the police. As our conversation continued, the caller would lower the amount of funding he was requesting. This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies. The solution, the letter says, is clear: Give our law enforcement officers the crime prevention tools they need. It was found that only 2.7% of donations to the relief fund actually went to the families of fallen officers. He instead provided me with their national number. It was found that only 2.7% of donations to the relief fund actually went to the families of fallen officers. Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Consumer Protection. Whoops! So we can Verify, National Coalition for Police and Troopers is a site owned by a PAC, isn't a charitable organization. When I asked which state this drive was for, the caller could not answer and instead said it is for a national charity. A: A 527 political organization is a party committee, association, fund, or other organization organized and operated primarily for the purpose of directly or indirectly accepting contributions or making expenditures for an exempt function. I confronted him that if they were legit, why it was that they are labeled as a scam operation. The Better Business Bureau says if anyone calls or knocks asking you to help the police, the best thing you can do is ask them for information before you agree to donate. Instead, theyre independent, expenditure-only political action committees, or super PACs. Government documents show that the founding treasurer is currently an executive at the International Union of Police Associations. Operators who are so susprised it's scam. The Better Business Bureau says if anyone calls or knocks asking you to help the police, the best thing you can do is ask them for information before you agree to donate. I quickly identified over 70 super PACs with police or law enforcement in their names. National Police Support Fund is a national political organization organized under Section 527 of the IRS Tax Code. Phony Firefighters Scam. If you require additional information, then call us 1-800-247-4872 or email us at: Your contribution is very much appreciated and although the International Union of Police Association is recognized as a non-profit by the IRS, due to its particular status 5), donations are not tax deductible pursuant to IRC 170(c. A copy of our latest financial report may be obtained by writing to: The International Union of Police Associations, 5632 Bee Ridge Road, Suite 200 Sarasota, FL . . After further investigation, they are not approved by the better business bureau and they have nothing but horrible reviews . ThePAC, organized by Zachary Bass, spent 90% of its take on fundraising, campaign filings show. Many donors say they believed they were supporting a charity that helps local officers. Multiple voices could be heard in the background. A warning tonight about a phone and mail scam asking for donations. Here's the truth behind the 'National Police Association'and its shady CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. An employee who said he previously worked for two companies that raised money for Law Enforcement for a Safer America said that at his more recent job, callers were instructed not to disclose that they were calling on behalf of a super PAC. All Rights Reserved. I again was transferred to another person who wanted my credit card info and stated due to covid they wanted to decrease handling and credit cards was the best way to donate. Big corporations dispute sponsoring a Florida police charity that One woman received a call from the . He said that although it is more expensive for super PACs to solicit small donations which is what this one is doing spending so much on operations and so little on political activities is unusual. Is The National Police Support Fund Legitimate It appears their lack of transparency regarding where the money goes was the reason for the BBB caution. They would have soundboards with prerecorded bits that would play and give the impression they were talking to a live person but in reality it was just someone playing bits off a soundboard, he said. JW August is a San Diego-based broadcast and digital journalist. . Trade groups like those that represent the fast food or soft drink producers operate as nonprofits. For more information, please refer to the IRS definition of Political Organization. I came across ScamPulse.com warning people about donating to the NPSF . Simple: less scrutiny. It also transferred $30,000 to another pro-police super PAC that the union operates, based on the officers listed on its filings. Just as you sit down to dinner, the phone rings and the caller asks for a donation. "The National Police Support Fund is neither a 501(c)3 nor a 501(c)4 organization, but rather a political organization organized under Section 527 of the IRS Tax Code. Do You Have To Call The Police After An Accident, How Long Does It Take To Get Into Police Academy, How Many People Were Killed By Police In 2020, Where To File A Police Report For Car Accident. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try The Committee for Police Officers Defense, the telemarketers who called me, applied for tax exemption in California. By choosing the . This policy has been repudiated by a significant number of law enforcement leaders, whose experience has led them to conclude that it would make their communities unsafe. So have we all. On each call, my questions about how donations got spent mostly went unanswered. For more information, please see our Do police call for donations? - JacAnswers Most of the money raised went to telemarketing 87 percent and other expenses. I asked him if the organization supports Donald Trump. With tales of woe and heartbreaking images of children or helpless animals, they beg for assistance. 7:35 AM EDT, Fri October 16, 2020. Another useful fact: Organizations that file reports with the FEC have to list a treasurer. Charities face relatively rigorous review from the Internal Revenue Service, and most states require them to register before they can operate there. The groups videos have received few views, but money has been pouring in. You read that correctly. A profit according to Investopedia.com is revenue that exceeds expenses. Each organization says it is spending money for police officers being abused and unfairly targeted. The National Police Support Fund has a website and even a Facebook page to make them look legit, but hundreds of articles pop up from sources like the Better Business Bureau, The National Police Foundation and more warning people NOT to donate to this organization. I told him I did not have any money to donate at the moment. It wasnt the usual automated call, and hearing a human voice kept me on the line. HARRISBURG Attorney General Josh Shapiro is warning Pennsylvanians to be on the lookout for bogus fundraising calls that purport to benefit the families of Martin F. Mack and Branden T. Sisca, the two fallen Pennsylvania State Police troopers tragically killed in the line of duty on I-95 South in Philadelphia. This organization spends the vast majority of its donations on children. Use a search engine to look for " your state + charity list ". Is National Police Support Fund Legit - KnowYourPolice.net He seemed okay with it. I recently took about a dozen of these police-support calls to hear the pitches. He could not answer. What To Know Before Donating To Help First Responders, Active Duty Our Police, Firefighters, and all First Responders do need our support. Here is the BBB caution: https://www.bbb.org/stlouis/news-events/bbb-warnings/2017/national-police-support-fund/, https://www.bbb.org/stlouis/news-events/bbb-warnings/2017/national-police-support-fund/. The PTRF/LEORF was created to provide specialized relief when, tragically, a law enforcement officer is killed in the line-of-duty or seriously injured in . Asking for donations to the National Police Support Fund. SCAM: National Police Support Fund donation. I told him that there is no such thing as a National Police Trust Fund. nationalpolicesupportfund.com Review - Scam Detector For example, a very well known and respected group is the Make a Wish Foundation. The BBB said days later, the New Jersey State Police photo had been removed from the site. I did satisfy my rather small donation at their website https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com . I later learned the organization is based in Fairfax, VA, and is a political action committee, or PAC. And Law Enforcement for a Safer America appears to be cashing in. Please reload the page and try again. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 2. We warn against them because they come off as supportive of the Greenfield Police Department, or the local police, and yet they do not do anything for us, said police Chief Robert Haigh Jr. These tend to be monies for their own agendas, and not based on the locals. Recommended Reading: How To Become A Desk Police Officer, Also Check: Can Police Help Me Unlock My Car. The union has previously come under fire for hiring allegedly deceptive telemarketers and costly fundraising efforts that benefited its own organization and a police charity it operates. During the pandemic, a plethora of fraudulent websites came out like a plague. Dozens of fake charities scammed donations for veterans the pocketed Three calls to his Virginia office for comment have gone unanswered as well as an email sent directly to his address listed in his filings with California. Another telemarketing employee reached by CNN in the Philippines confirmed this, saying he solicited money on behalf of the super PAC and the IUPA using audio recordings of someone who sounded like they were actually calling from America, and that most of the people they reached were elderly adding he felt it was a scam because they didnt realize what they were actually donating to. Andy Cottam is among the many who received the call. I got a call from them saying it was the time of year to start up the donation drive, and the phone operator tries his best to kay in with a guilt trip to get you to "donate." The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League was founded in 1940 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Theres just one week to go before the midterm election. That means of a $35 donation, no more than $3.50 goes to their stated cause. The organization began as a service program providing mentorship and outreach activities to youth as a way to combat juvenile crime. Campaign finance data, however, shows that about 98% of the money spent is not being used for this mission. FEC filings show that of the group's minimal political spending, most has gone toward pro-Trump advertising such as billboards. The latter is the name of the PAC I found earlier that had raised $3.2 million in contributions. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Many of these names could easily be confused with public charities, such as Autism Speaks, National Association of Police Organizations, or Veterans Assistance Foundation. Gotten calls like this? The rest of the money has gone primarily to the firms helping it solicit donations including nearly $3 million in payments to one telemarketing company sued by the government last month for allegedly using deceptive tactics. 50 Worst Charities in America: How to Keep From Getting Scammed These callers typically use language that suggests they are charities raising money directly for local police. I should have been more aware that it sounded fishy and of course just saw the ScamPulse.com warning. Today, the organization has over 300 chapters across the country working to create positive change in local communities. We are just passing along the information if you get a suspicious call asking for money for police officers.. Just change the state to your state and verify the charity is listed with your state attorney general's office, or another regulatory office (each state has different requirements). Just want you notified that they are calling on area code 203 #s in CT now. To raise awareness of Law Enforcement Officers who have died in the line of duty. Stated that donations were not tax-deductible. But these telemarketers bombarding our phone lines? An image from Law Enforcement For A Safer America PAC's Facebook page. The scenario is all too familiar. Charity Navigator - Rating for National Police Defense Foundation Donations have surged to a 'scam' political group that claims - CBS58 At the end of 2021, robocalls raising money for police groups were thehighest-volume phone messages in most major U.S. markets, according to Nomorobo, a robocall-blocking company that works with AARP on fraud prevention. . There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Only one replied directly: 90 percent went to fundraising, and 10 percent went to police support. National Police Association | Educating supporters of law enforcement The mailing scam, which was identified in a CNN article last fall and had already targeted residents in eastern states including Massachusetts and Wisconsin, asks recipients of the letter to donate $20 to an organization misleadingly calling itself the "Police Officers Support Association, PAC" according to Grass Valley Police Sgt. But almost no one was helped. In two words, its not. I did not feel comfortable giving the information over the phone . He never would have given money to any group if he knew that some of that money was going to pro-Trump campaign ads, said Busse. (Santa Rosa, Calf.) FTC Announces Operation False Charity Law Enforcement Sweep Across the industry, calls are computer-generated before being routed to telemarketers, something Politicause and TPFE employees said allowed their firms to maximize the number of calls and to pester people repeatedly. Woman calls out scammer after hearing about it on the news Money donated to this group might be used for political purposes and will not be used for direct help to police or troopers, Fox wrote. As an example, he cites former Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County in Arizona. Nonprofit however does not mean they are a charity. If you require additional information, then call us 1-800-247-4872 or email us at: [email protected] Your contribution is very much appreciated and although the International Union of Police Association is recognized as a non-profit by the IRS, due to its particular status (501 (c) 5), donations are not tax . In fact, former employees of these types of fundraisers have testified about how they used soundboard technology to play prerecorded messages as responses, in part so they could talk to several donors at once. They count on local press coverage and a quick website. We support police officers who risk their lives daily protecting our communities. Wow! Similarly, the Police Coalition of America, which promises "to enact positive change and legislation that protects our citizens as well as our law enforcement," spent $530,000 on . Ive become suspicious after reading what they had to say . To promote the prevention of juvenile crime and violence by building relationships among kids, cops and community through positive engagement. Sara Kemerer of the Cincinnati BBB says you should look them up at the bureau's website, www.bbb.org, or at Charity Navigator.org, or Guidestar.org. I have asked 5 times to be removed from their call list, but they are still constantly calling, at this point it is harassment and it needs to STOP! In the report, National Police Support Fund reported about $61,000 in . "As Pennsylvanians look to support [] Wendy Beckman got a call the other day from a man asking her to help retired police and firefighters. It was raising money using four different police-oriented names (one association, two coalitions and one support fund). . This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies. This particular super PACs treasurer is a former cop who was arrested for stealing $50,000 from the police union for which he served as president. Beware: That Call for Police Donations May Be from a Political Action By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Together, the Law Enforcement Officers Relief Fund and the International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO, have spent about $82.3 million 77 percent of their operating expenditures on fundraising services from around 2011 to March 2018, according to a Public Integrity analysis of annual tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue . This person spoke broken english and told me to donate using credit card. I asked him where the money goes. As Smarter Giving notes, what is actually supports is the bank balances of its chief executives. by Michelle Diament, April 2008. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription toAARP The Magazine. The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League was founded in 1940 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. For example, in 2019, nearly 90% of the organizations income was spent on its programming. Not authorized by any candidate or . Police Protection Fund. Super PACs generally have far fewer state-level reporting requirements and are regulated by the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which has fewer enforcement options than the IRS. In fact, former employees of these types of fundraisers have testified about how they used soundboard technology to play prerecorded messages as responses, in part so they could talk to several donors at once. Once it was blocked through my service provider, an additional phone number began to call my home multiple times a day. Home - NPTA Donations Getting 3 to 5 calls a day from 315-410-0874 phone number. Also in Massachusetts, a Wilmington police officer received a call soliciting donations. These are Americas heroes. Videos on its site show cities in flames and say that officers have been injured during what the group describes as riots presumably referring to recent Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. Last month the National Police Association (NPA) filed an ethics complaint against Rachael Rollins, the new district attorney for Suffolk County, Massachusetts (who recently . For anyone interested in supporting law enforcement, experts say, think local. Investigation: Is National Police Support Fund actually a massive scam Super PACs are able to raise unlimited amounts of money, which they can use to advocate for political candidates or causes. and our Contributions made to National Police Support Fund are not tax-deductible. Read Also: Do You Have To Call The Police After An Accident, 2021 KnowYourPolice.net Up until the latest tax year when the groups appear to have changed how they categorize certain expenditures the pattern was largely the same from year to year: A small number of families received a couple thousand dollars apiece top employees of the union received more than $100,000 apiece and tens of millions went to telemarketers. Are robo-calls from the 'Committee for Police Officers' Defense' (aka 9 A donation of $10, $15 or $25 would help keep . Email us: watchdog@cnn.com. That way, you avoid all of . He said he ultimately left because he didnt feel like he was supporting the charitable efforts he had hoped to seeing a shift toward fundraising for PACs instead of charities and observing how little of the money went to the causes callers were touting. According to an analysis by The Center for Public Integrity (CFPI), the names of some of these "scam PACs" are listed below. Charities face relatively rigorous review from the Internal Revenue Service, and most states require them to register before they can operate there. KENNER, LA (WVUE) - The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office warns of a scam from the "American Police Officers Alliance" asking for donations for law enforcement. The IRS has pretty broad rules for being a nonprofit organization. Wendy is fine with that and will sleep better now. Police Unity Tour. Join AARP for just $9 per yearwhen you sign up for a 5-year term. He said his father has always leaned heavily Democratic, supported President Barack Obama and previously expressed strong anti-Trump views. Why does this matter? The Police and Troopers Relief Foundation (PTRF) is a special program within the Law Enforcement Officers Relief Fund (LEORF), established by the International Union of Police Associations. But whats the truth. This section is used to influence public opinion in support of the interests of . And cops are facing increasing disrespect on the streets as criminals have become emboldened by the wave of anti-cop rhetoric in the news media and by many politicians. Post has been removed or is no longer public. FEC regulations state that political committees can only deposit a contribution into their account if that money came from a solicitation which expressly states that the contribution will be used in connection with a Federal election or the solicitation discloses that contributions are subject to federal election law. Police charity asking for money - is it a scam? - YouTube