"So I really want to support the police for what they do.". Wendy Beckman got a call the other day from a man asking her to help retired police and firefighters. I asked if the donation was tax-deductible and he said no but could not elaborate as to why that was. proudly complies with state regulations and required disclosures. Gotten calls like this? To find out more about these organizations, I probed the FEC website, where super PACs report their activity. For anyone interested in supporting law enforcement, experts say, think local. The answer is that, in many cases, these arent charities at all. Woman suspicious after calls to help police. If it is a scam they are awfully convincing on the phone but are also rather forceful. We won't use your email for any other purpose, and you can opt out at any time via an unsubscribe link. Why does this matter? 2. 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. The website soliciting funds for Arpaio says, Liberals have targeted Sheriff Joe Arpaio with a multi-million dollar lawsuit (that could even result in jail time) because he was upholding the law of the land.. I quickly identified over 70 super PACs with police or law enforcement in their names. As an example, he cites former Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County in Arizona. That same tax year, the International Union of Police Associations gave 10 students pursuing advanced degrees in law enforcement an average of $2,500 apiece. In the case of National Police Support Fund, we accept contributions and make expenditures in order to influence the selection, nomination, election, or appointment of candidates to federal, state, and local offices. Ask for information, check sites like Charitynavigator.org and then if it all checks out, write that check. Fake joke to start out. Each organization says it is spending money for police officers being abused and unfairly targeted. As we stated earlier, these 50 charities account for almost $1 Billion in donations. Its made up of series of regular steps timed to the beat of the music that can be improvised as needed. During the pandemic, a plethora of fraudulent websites came out like a plague. With tales of woe and heartbreaking images of children or helpless animals, they beg for assistance. The recording says it is "Kenneth Allen from the National Police Support Fund" and they are asking for donations. Hispanic Federation (New York City) Abandoned Children's Fund. I told him that I had some questions for him before I would donate. The Wilmington Police Department has no association with this organization and we have never even heard of them, stated a May release from the department. Read Also: How Do You Know If The Police Are Investigating You. 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. Another charity that should come with a "donator, beware" sign is the Police Protection Fund. 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. It said callers were soliciting support for police officers but that the group was actually connected to a political action committee. Here are the Top 7 Amazon scam calls. Among the other warnings: The Miami Township Police in Ohio issued a scam alert in June referencing calls circulating from a Police Officers Support Association asking for credit card donations. The Reading Police Department in Massachusetts described the Police Officers Support Association as a scam charity last year. Videos on Law Enforcement for a Safer America's website show cities in flames and say that officers have been injured during what the group describes as riots. The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League was founded in 1940 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The National Police Support Fund. Did you encounter any technical issues? In two words, its not. 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. But as I learned, these callers are masters at evading any such disclosure. Today, the organization has over 300 chapters across the country working to create positive change in local communities. They improvise and evolve to stay one step ahead of unsuspecting donors. The first one, the texh . One very common hustle is the name game. The NPAs immigration proposalAuthorizing local law enforcement officers to perform federal immigration law enforcement functionsis based on fear-mongering and a clear recipe for abuse and division. 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. Can the police officers count on you?. Please reload the page and try again. I've asked them repeatedly to stop calling this typically results in additional calls back to back from different numbers. We do not support nor do we condone this group, the post stated. The groups videos have received few views, but money has been pouring in. You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues. 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 . 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. He paused for a few seconds and said "okay, bye" and hung up the phone. The fundraisers connection to the charity. Soft on Crime groups are targeting record numbers of individual law enforcement officers in law suits for police brutality. The National Police Association files amicus brief opposing Oregon's attempt to criminalize law abiding gun owners. For example, in the tax year that ended March 2018, the Law Enforcement Officers Relief Fund gave 11 families an average of $6,545 apiece. With everything that's happening this pandemic year, people are getting more and more calls to support their local police. Groups like Antifa and Black Lives Matter have inspired people to assassinate cops on the street. I asked him if the organization supports Donald Trump. 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. What they do: The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League aims to minimize juvenile crime through outreach programs that pair officers with youth. Type of a scam Charity. Other policies that the NPA promotes include aggressive stop-and-frisk tactics and broken windows policingstrategies that have resulted in unconstitutional practices that undermine civil liberties. And Law Enforcement for a Safer America appears to be cashing in. Charities face relatively rigorous review from the Internal Revenue Service, and most states require them to register before they can operate there. A union receptionist also confirmed to CNN that the super PAC is run by the union, but union leaders did not respond to repeated calls, voicemails and emails that laid out the concerns from other police departments and donors and asked why so little of the $10 million raised went toward political activities. Our Police, Firefighters, and all First Responders do need our support. Not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee.Paid for by National Police Support Fund, Inc. |Privacy & Refund Policy| Sitemap, Biggest Issues Facing Police Officers Today. Law Enforcement for a Safer America officials did not return repeated requests for comment. Type of a scam Charity. The usual claiming they were legitimate. 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. Please do your homework and avoid scams and misleading appeals for your hard-earned money.. Super PACs are able to raise unlimited amounts of money, which they can use to advocate for political candidates or causes. Are the money-gathering techniques these scam PACs use illegal? It appears there are a number of nonprofits up and running under the apparent control of Fotis. Just want you notified that they are calling on area code 203 #s in CT now. See the metrics below for more information. The organization began as a service program providing mentorship and outreach activities to youth as a way to combat juvenile crime. Read Also: Do You Have To Call The Police After An Accident, 2021 KnowYourPolice.net The robot voice saying the call would be recorded for record purposes sounded so real but it was just him. The fund is the third in a series of outrageous attempts by founders David Dierks and Phil LeConte to extort money from generous Americans under the pretext of donations to the nation's police forces. 4 talking about this. 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 . What can we learn from the latest Coinbase cyberattack? . I received a call today from someone from The National Police Support Fund, who claimed to be collecting money for a drive. Entire local police unions, which negotiate collective bargaining agreements for their members, can choose to affiliate with the group. Use a search engine to look for " your state + charity list ". Continuously redirected to the toll free number provided which cut out each time it was listed. These charities usually rake in a few thousand dollars and disappear. Virginia incorporation papers show James Fotis is president of the Alliance and changed the name to the Defense Coalition. 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." Even if you like the idea, how do you know the call is legitimate? So what happened to the other approximately 33% of . Free online workshop! The first thing I noticed was that I wasnt talking to live people; the answers all sounded scripted and recorded. Get a FREE subscription to AARP The Magazine. The International Union of Police Associations and its related organizations go by more than a dozen different names, including the Police Officers Support Association and the National Emergency Responders Coalition. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. 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. Bass, who set up several other super PACs, declined to comment. One woman received a call from the . nationalpolice.org. 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. He also wanted to highlight law enforcements hard work across the country. Their impact and transparency ratings: The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League has an Accountability and Transparency score of 92 out of 100 from Charity Navigator. The man on the other end of the phone is asking for money for the protection of police officers. If they are PACs, the fundraising effort is politically motivated and wont necessarily support San Diego-area officers or deputies or their families. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age. By choosing the . Also Check: How To File A Police Report For Id Theft, You May Like: How Do Police Deal With Homeless. Theres just one week to go before the midterm election. 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 . "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. Especially after a tragedy or military-related event, fundraisers and causes show up on social media and people create crowdfunding campaigns to help those affected. The Police Unity Tour was founded in 1997 by Patrick Montuore, a police officer from New Jersey. It's always a variation of the above name.