is national police support fund legit

"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. You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. Campaign finance data, however, shows that about 98% of the money spent is not being used for this mission. And the Morton Police Department in Illinois posted on Facebook about calls from a mysterious phone number with a local area code last year. 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. What should we investigate next? A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. Pearl S Buck International's stated purpose is to provide opportunities to explore and appreciate other cultures, build better lives for children around the globe and promote the legacy of our founder by preserving and interpreting her National Historic Landmark home. At the end of 2021, robocalls raising money for police groups were the highest-volume phone messages in most major U.S. markets, according to Nomorobo, a robocall-blocking company that works with AARP on fraud prevention. Cookie Notice Just want you notified that they are calling on area code 203 #s in CT now. National Police Support Fund is a grassroots political organization that is committed to aligning the interests and needs of police officers with the publics issues and concerns within the national political process. They count on local press coverage and a quick website. Free online workshop! If they are PACs, the fundraising effort is politically motivated and wont necessarily support San Diego-area officers or deputies or their families. 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. But the groups file financial disclosures with federal regulators under only a handful of names. . A donation of $10, $15 or $25 would help keep . How to report a scammer? 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 recently took about a dozen of these police-support calls to hear the pitches. Law Enforcement for a Safer America officials did not return repeated requests for comment. The scripts were designed to give the impression that they were helping out officers versus lobbying efforts, he said, adding that the political affiliation was only fully disclosed when someone proactively asked where the money would be going. Andy Cottam is among the many who received the call. 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. If you want fundraisers to stop calling, ask them to put you on the charitys do not call list. The International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO was formed in 1979 to collectively represent those in law enforcement that are active or retired law enforcement officers to fight to improve, protect, and remember the lives of officers and their families in law enforcement the organization also works to improve legislation that protects and affects public safety officers, as well as representing the needs of law enforcement officers and support personnel, whether that be for better equipment, more staff or a fair wage. In the first half of 2021, this organization reported donations of $4.3 million; expenditures were just under $4.2 million, the bulk of this going to overhead fundraising, lawyers, lead lists and so on. One of the more successful scams is when the scammer poses as one of many charities benefitting Law Enforcement. National Police Defense Foundation has earned a 81% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. Published The tour began with 18 members of law enforcement, who rode from New Jersey to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. Their impact and transparency ratings: The Police Unity Tour holds a Financial rating of 84 out of 100 from Charity Navigator. On its donate page, the NPA boasts of its work to preserve the American way of life and fight back against cop-haters. The BBB said days later, the New Jersey State Police photo had been removed from the site. The vast majority of donations since 2019 were under $200, meaning the funds came from tens of thousands of donors. When I googled the fund, a BBB caution was the first result. We don't engage in telemarketing. Our movement is comprised of tens of thousands of Americans from all walks of life who are joined together by their common respect for the rule of law and united in their support for the police officers who put their lives on the line every day in their communities. 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. Ask for information, check sites like Charitynavigator.org and then if it all checks out, write that check. When I asked which state this drive was for, the caller could not answer and instead said it is for a national charity. AARP Membership - LIMITED TIME FLASH SALE. Discovery Company. He organized the Police Unity Tour as a fundraising event to honor members of law enforcement who had lost their lives in the line of service. 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. Join AARP for just $9 per yearwhen you sign up for a 5-year term. "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. 2. 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.. The National Police Support Fund is a national coalition committed to promoting the interests of America's. Virginia incorporation papers show James Fotis is president of the Alliance and changed the name to the Defense Coalition. So have we all. It was found that only 2.7% of donations to the relief fund actually went to the families of fallen officers. The websites describe his career in law enforcement and his role as the creator of the police officers safety act legislation carried by former San Diego Congressman Randy Duke Cunningham. He initially solicited $95 and eventually said he would accept a $15 contribution as an offer of goodwill on my part. He was super pushy trying to get me to donate for 75,95, 105 dollars. In the first half of 2021, this organization reported donations of $4.3 million; expenditures were just under $4.2 million, the bulk of this going to overhead fundraising, lawyers, lead lists and so on. Most of the money raised went to telemarketing 87 percent and other expenses. Busse said he and his sister took over their fathers finances last year. 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. Our free newsletter is delivered at 8 a.m. daily. proudly complies with state regulations and required disclosures. But these telemarketers bombarding our phone lines? Unless you want your money to go toward lawsuits , take my advice and find another charity to support although preferably one on another list to this one. Type of a scam Charity. I quickly identified over 70 super PACs with police or law enforcement in their names. An IRS report was filed on July 26. We use the funds raised from these activities to support elected officials, candidates, and organizations whose goals and values align with our own. The FTC and charity regulators and law enforcement officials in every state have teamed up on more than 100 actions against dozens of fake charities, which have collected tens of millions of . An image from Law Enforcement For A Safer America PAC's Facebook page. Contributions are not tax deductible. That link will take you to Illinois, where I live. Wendy Beckman got a call the other day from a man asking her to help retired police and firefighters. The I.U.P.A. What can we learn from the latest Coinbase cyberattack? The filings dont show how much the groups officials are directly benefiting from the political committee it created, and it is unclear why the group deemed it necessary to create so many different aliases to use for soliciting donations. 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. The answer is that, in many cases, these arent charities at all. The recording says it is "Kenneth Allen from the National Police Support Fund" and they are asking for donations. Charities face relatively rigorous review from the Internal Revenue Service, and most states require them to register before they can operate there. Now those same anarchists that rioted and assaulted law enforcement officers are using the Taliban playbook by destroying public statues and monuments while advocating for defunding law enforcement agencies, a narrator states in a video from July, as protests continued across the country. Individual officers can also become members, according to its website. While several recordings uploaded online show that some callers have briefly mentioned the term PAC or have said that the group is supporting efforts to elect lawmakers to advocate for certain issues, the Montana attorney general wasnt the only person to say the group hadnt identified itself as required. 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. I asked if the donation was tax-deductible and he said no but could not elaborate as to why that was. I also learned that they were sued in the biggest FTC case in history. I told him I did not have any money to donate at the moment. These charities usually rake in a few thousand dollars and disappear. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much The result: a rise in super PACs that use sympathetic-sounding causes primarily to line their own pockets (the FEC has called this subset scam PACs). This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I came across ScamPulse.com warning people about donating to the NPSF . I said I do not donate over the phone, he said I did not need to they would mail me a pledge kit. Have a problem?Send me an email, at [email protected] or message me on Facebook. Soft on Crime groups are targeting record numbers of individual law enforcement officers in law suits for police brutality. National Police Support Fund representatives have been phoning potential donors in the St. Louis area over the past several weeks, including the wife of a retired police officer who said she . When a solicitor for one of these groups calls a prospective donor the pitch will include the truthful statement that they are a nonprofit organization. Instead, theyre independent, expenditure-only political action committees, or super PACs. Many of the other complaints to the FTC about the political committee and its related groups said fundraisers used spoofed numbers and violated the law by calling them even though they were on the Do Not Call list, while others said they had been misled or even harassed by fundraisers. He seemed okay with it. Being a generous person, she agreed to mail them $50. 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. 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. The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League was founded in 1940 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. President Trump pardoned the sheriff even after the Department of Justice described Arpaio as being responsible for the worst case of racial profiling in U.S. history. Get a FREE subscription to AARP The Magazine. We support police officers who risk their lives daily protecting our communities. There have been calls circulating from a Police Officers Support Association asking for credit card donations. It appears there are a number of nonprofits up and running under the apparent control of Fotis. As a result, he had a positive outlook on military and all law enforcement officers, Busse said, but he never expressed any particular interest in supporting the police through financial donations.. Also in Massachusetts, a Wilmington police officer received a call soliciting donations. Im calling on behalf of the National Save the Police Fund,* the voice on the phone told me. Msg&data rates may apply. I recently took about a dozen of these police-support calls to hear the pitches. If the potential donors suspected they had given to the group before, the callers were instructed to say: I have no way of knowing because we feel that donations are given from the heart, not the hand, so we keep all donation records confidential, according to the FAQ. First Responders Children's Foundation. Law Enforcement for a Safer America does not disclose on its website who is running the super PAC, but public filings reveal that leaders of one of the countrys largest police unions are pulling the strings. Only one replied directly: 90 percent went to fundraising, and 10 percent went to police support. AiThority Interview with Lori Anne, Director of Product Development & Management at Verizon, Branded Caller ID: The Pros And Cons In The Battle Against Phone Scams, A New Scam Is Making the Rounds Just in Time for Tax Season, Smishing: The new year is here and so are new scams. Getting 3 to 5 calls a day from 315-410-0874 phone number. But none of the money being raised actually goes to police departments, according to government records. To raise awareness of Law Enforcement Officers who have died in the line of duty. He gave a range of donations to be made . A charity is only one type of nonprofit. The result: a rise in super PACs that use sympathetic-sounding causes primarily to line their own pockets (the FEC has called this subset scam PACs). Sara Kemerer of the . In two words, its not. The safest way to donate on social media or crowdfunding campaign is to give to people you actually know. Read Also: Do You Have To Call The Police After An Accident, 2021 KnowYourPolice.net To promote the prevention of juvenile crime and violence by building relationships among kids, cops and community through positive engagement. Groups like Antifa and Black Lives Matter have inspired people to assassinate cops on the street. Recently, the District Attorney's office was made aware of calls from nearby area codes claiming to support local officers injured in the line of duty. Can the police officers count on you?. And Law Enforcement for a Safer America appears to be cashing in. Tax filings also show that the union operates its own call center and that a company the union controls purchased a nearly 20,000 square foot office building valued at more than $2.5 million, where the union is now based. So I would like to say just beware of scammers , Ive copied the letter I received so in hopes that people will know not to donate unless you are 109% sure it not a scam. A 5 On Your Side viewer got one of those calls recently, asking him to support the National Police and Troopers Association.But before saying yes, he called us to ask if it was legit. For more information, please see our And some are outright scams. Years later, as the success of the . Do police call for donations? For more information, please refer to the IRS definition of Political Organization. Clint Bates. But then she started to worry, especially when she couldn't find the group listed as a charity anywhere online. This all looks very peculiar, said Richard Briffault, a professor at Columbia Law School who specializes in campaign finance. 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This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies. In the wake of tragedies large and small, they pop up like mushrooms after a rain. Why does this matter? appreciated. One hit wonders seeking to cash in on the tragedy of the day from floods and fires to missing children and more. Go to their website and give there or call the number listed. 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). I told him that there is no such thing as a National Police Trust Fund. SCAM: National Police Support Fund donation. President Trump pardoned the sheriff even after the Department of Justice described Arpaio as being responsible for the worst case of racial profiling in U.S. history. With this in mind, the midterm election saw a new partnership between us, the National Police Support Fund, and the. For example, a very well known and respected group is the Make a Wish Foundation. This person spoke broken english and told me to donate using credit card. They do disclose, however, that of the nearly $10 million raised, the super PAC gave more money back to the union roughly $350,000 for office, operational and overhead expenses than the $173,500 it spent on political activities between January 2019 and June 2020. Watch out for a new "police support fund" scam. They improvise and evolve to stay one step ahead of unsuspecting donors. The first thing I noticed was that I wasnt talking to live people; the answers all sounded scripted and recorded. On 11/4 another local call came it was the same man! 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. "I got burned a couple of years ago when I found out another charity I was contributing to was not a real charity, so I thought I should probably check this one out," Beckman said. Your email address will not be published. Also Check: Do You Have To Pay For A Police Report. Email us: [email protected]. ThePAC, organized by Zachary Bass, spent 90% of its take on fundraising, campaign filings show. It appears their lack of transparency regarding where the money goes was the reason for the BBB caution. Email Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken. National Police Support Fund is dedicated to providing a united voice for true Americans who support our nation's law enforcement officers.

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