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artist ploy.
An expensive lesson learned and the best that I can do is just alert others.
First one: The new "Chipin" funds technique for helping people, environment, animals (in my situation - that is where my donation dollars usually go).
These chipins are usually set up by a private individual. And you would think that the money going to an individual would go to the work it is supposed to be doing. No, it appears it did not and I was actually approached privately by this person who has all this info on me for a private donation - no more donations were made and and have contacted my bank.
This was not a 501(c)3 registered charity.
I saw one post (on another forum) where someone refused to donate money to a person (as in this popular new chipin technique) instead of a 501 registered charity.
ALSO:
Watch out for the door knockers. In our city if you have a No Solicitation sign posted it is illegal to do this unless registered first with the police dept. and they must show a valid piece of paper. The police department encourages us to call to report anyone even to make sure their license to solicit is registered.
One hot day a really exhausted sweaty distressed woman approached the door. My husband answered - and by golly it was a woman whose car had just run out of gas on our street. She worked for the family just behind our street and the elderly lady had to have an ambulance called (naturally we were asking about her and this immediately threw us off to be suspicious).
In the confusion she had gotten her purse locked in the house which had her money. And her car had been on empty. She could not get home.
She also muttered about coming in the house to get in the shade. At that point I just told her wait outside and we will try to figure out how to help. Went in and we decided Hubby would follow her up to nearest gas station and fill her car up with enough gas to get home.
When he gets home he tells me he put in $20.00 worth (her home was in a very distant suburb)but she wanted some cash and he gave it to her - $20.00.
That immediately tipped me off - and there wasn't, after all, any woman who worked for the elderly lady on the other street.
We had been conned.
We have always ignored the 'will work for food' people who have disappeared from intersections after some investigative reporters did publicity on how much money these people make.
Now they are coming right to the door in these hard times.
Is there a 'no begging' sign or 'don't ask for money sign' - someone might get rich off of that.
We want to help people but this woman was good - it was so quick, desperate and bold that we thought was completely a credible story.
Also at a mall we were approached by a woman claiming to be living out of her car and also out of gas. Security usually runs these people out. New cons where you least expect it.
And even a registered 501(c) charity could be spending money where you don't agree it should be. A huge respectable animal charity employs 30 attorneys - according to some watchdog group. Bit much there.
An expensive lesson learned and the best that I can do is just alert others.
First one: The new "Chipin" funds technique for helping people, environment, animals (in my situation - that is where my donation dollars usually go).
These chipins are usually set up by a private individual. And you would think that the money going to an individual would go to the work it is supposed to be doing. No, it appears it did not and I was actually approached privately by this person who has all this info on me for a private donation - no more donations were made and and have contacted my bank.
This was not a 501(c)3 registered charity.
I saw one post (on another forum) where someone refused to donate money to a person (as in this popular new chipin technique) instead of a 501 registered charity.
ALSO:
Watch out for the door knockers. In our city if you have a No Solicitation sign posted it is illegal to do this unless registered first with the police dept. and they must show a valid piece of paper. The police department encourages us to call to report anyone even to make sure their license to solicit is registered.
One hot day a really exhausted sweaty distressed woman approached the door. My husband answered - and by golly it was a woman whose car had just run out of gas on our street. She worked for the family just behind our street and the elderly lady had to have an ambulance called (naturally we were asking about her and this immediately threw us off to be suspicious).
In the confusion she had gotten her purse locked in the house which had her money. And her car had been on empty. She could not get home.
She also muttered about coming in the house to get in the shade. At that point I just told her wait outside and we will try to figure out how to help. Went in and we decided Hubby would follow her up to nearest gas station and fill her car up with enough gas to get home.
When he gets home he tells me he put in $20.00 worth (her home was in a very distant suburb)but she wanted some cash and he gave it to her - $20.00.
That immediately tipped me off - and there wasn't, after all, any woman who worked for the elderly lady on the other street.
We had been conned.
We have always ignored the 'will work for food' people who have disappeared from intersections after some investigative reporters did publicity on how much money these people make.
Now they are coming right to the door in these hard times.
Is there a 'no begging' sign or 'don't ask for money sign' - someone might get rich off of that.
We want to help people but this woman was good - it was so quick, desperate and bold that we thought was completely a credible story.
Also at a mall we were approached by a woman claiming to be living out of her car and also out of gas. Security usually runs these people out. New cons where you least expect it.
And even a registered 501(c) charity could be spending money where you don't agree it should be. A huge respectable animal charity employs 30 attorneys - according to some watchdog group. Bit much there.
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