is national police support fund legit

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. Law Enforcement for a Safer America officials did not return repeated requests for comment. That way, you avoid all of . According to the complaint, DPSF conned people into donating more than $9.9 million. He was donating to anyone who asked him for money, he said. Gas station secured small business bailout money, then paid for Trump billboards, After learning from CNN that his 92-year-old father had given $1,200 to the super PAC, Curt Busse said that the donations were made as his fathers cognitive skills declined, making him a prime target for telemarketers. In this case, the pitch was for money for helping police officers in the continuing war against cops.. I started rifling through my mail as he gave me the same exact spiel this time saying he represented United Police support fund. And that is likely the point. A warning tonight about a phone and mail scam asking for donations. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Entire local police unions, which negotiate collective bargaining agreements for their members, can choose to affiliate with the group. I quickly identified over 70 super PACs with police or law enforcement in their names. Montana Attorney General Tim Fox posted on Facebook last year about a call he received from Roy on behalf of the National Coalition for Police and Troopers. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much It's always a variation of the above name. She had noticed the term PAC on receipts she received in the mail but thought that meant the charities were working together and had a pact to support the police cause she believed in. 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. Enter address: This website, like most media sites, uses small files called cookies to anonymously customize the advertising that you see. When a charitys fundraiser calls to ask you for a donation, they have to follow some rules: A: We engage in activities aimed at supporting our law enforcement officers and standing up for their rights and values throughout the political process. These charities usually rake in a few thousand dollars and disappear. This all looks very peculiar, said Richard Briffault, a professor at Columbia Law School who specializes in campaign finance. We strive to engage the public through political grassroots activity to support political interests that promote officer's interests. All Rights Reserved. Have a problem?Send me an email, at jmatarese@wcpo.com or message me on Facebook. Please do your homework and avoid scams and misleading appeals for your hard-earned money.. We support police officers who risk their lives daily protecting our communities. Type of a scam Charity. A Warner Bros. Being a generous person, she agreed to mail them $50. These callers typically use language that suggests they are charities raising money directly for local police. Some tips for consumers: Listen carefully for the name of the organization. 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. The answer is that, in many cases, these arent charities at all. The first one, the texh . The National Policing Institute, a national, Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization dedicated to advancing policing through science and innovation, has received information from several individuals who have been contacted by solicitors asking for donations in support of the "National Policing Institute," or in some cases the "National Police Fund," which we are not affiliated . By choosing the . As our conversation continued, the caller would lower the amount of funding he was requesting. Privacy Policy. 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). He seemed okay with it. If you want fundraisers to stop calling, ask them to put you on the charitys do not call list. Stated that donations were not tax-deductible. After I rejected he offered some booster donations of 15,25, 35 dollars to Goodwill or other organizations. I later learned the organization is based in Fairfax, VA, and is a political action committee, or PAC. In researching the organizations, I discovered numerous similar-sounding names for PACs raising funds for police officers. A: The National Police Support Fund is a grassroots nonprofit political organization founded in 2017 under Section 527 of the IRS tax code. 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. In about 7 years (through March 2018), the union and relief fund spent a total of approximately $102.3 million, of which $82.3 million went towards fundraising. Today, the organization has over 300 chapters across the country working to create positive change in local communities. Contributions made to National Police Support Fund are not tax-deductible. But the groups file financial disclosures with federal regulators under only a handful of names. 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. Clint Bates. The group's videos have received few views, but money has been pouring in. Key battles deserve tight alliances. Fundraising calls are allowed even if your number is on the National Do Not Call Registry. As a wife of a police officer this is absolutely disgusting! she stated. I confronted him that if they were legit, why it was that they are labeled as a scam operation. The Better Business Bureau conducted an investigation and found . People are receiving phone scam calls asking for donations to help out local police departments or slain and wounded police offers. I told him that I had some questions for him before I would donate. We are just passing along the information if you get a suspicious call asking for money for police officers.. Get a FREE subscription to AARP The Magazine. . It spent $103,700 on behalf of House candidates about 3% of the total, and it has contributed nothing directly to veterans groups. We are entering the crucial last minutes of our ongoing struggle to defend police officers. I asked him where the money goes. Government documents show that the founding treasurer is currently an executive at the International Union of Police Associations. If it is a scam they are awfully convincing on the phone but are also rather forceful. He initially solicited $95 and eventually said he would accept a $15 contribution as an offer of goodwill on my part. Multiple voices could be heard in the background. Wow! Read Also: Do You Have To Call The Police After An Accident, 2021 KnowYourPolice.net Instead, theyre independent, expenditure-only political action committees, or super PACs. Our Police, Firefighters, and all First Responders do need our 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. What they do: ThePolice Unity Tour raises funds and awareness for members of law enforcement who lost their lives during their service. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. As an example, he cites former Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County in Arizona. Below are a few tips for screening for legitimate charities. Simple web searches can show that the 'charitable organization' calling either 1 . Last month the National Police Association (NPA) filed an ethics complaint against Rachael Rollins, the new district attorney for Suffolk County, Massachusetts (who recently . Each organization says it is spending money for police officers being abused and unfairly targeted. Is National police Support Fund legit? 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. It appears their lack of transparency regarding where the money goes was the reason for the BBB caution. Read Also: What Are The Best Police Boots, Read Also: How Do I Become A K9 Police Officer. Learn about the latest anti-police movement, Download our 2022 police ballot measures analysis, Download our 2022 law enforcement support guide, Virginia Election Ad by National Police Support Fund, Pro-Police Organizations Worked Together to Get Out the Vote & Boosts Conservative Turnout in NoVa, https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com/terms-of-service/. Trump billboards along a desert stretch of highway near the border of California and Arizona were paid for by a small business that received a federal loan. appreciated. Also worth noting is that while his organization is based in Virginia, and gets its mail in Stafford, TX, Fotis lives in Lake Worth, FL. Many of these names could easily be confused with public charities, such as Autism Speaks, National Association of Police Organizations, or Veterans Assistance Foundation. To raise awareness of Law Enforcement Officers who have died in the line of duty. On each call, my questions about how donations got spent mostly went unanswered. This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies. Years later, as the success of the . Just hang up. So, the next time you get this call, hang up. He also wanted to highlight law enforcements hard work across the country. At least seven local police departments from around the country and a state attorney general have issued scam alerts and other notices about these fundraising efforts, warning residents in their communities as recently as this summer that they have no affiliation with this group. 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. . "So I really want to support the police for what they do.". The groups videos have received few views, but money has been pouring in. Here are some things you can do to avoid donating to a fake charity: Pay attention to the charity's name. Email us: watchdog@cnn.com. Up to June 2020, only 2% of the groups spending went toward political activities mainly for advertisements supporting President Donald Trumps reelection, according to data filed with the FEC. National Police Support Fund - Alexandria, VA. An elderly man in Trenton, Mi., received a dire letter that warned of the greatest threats to our public safety in our nations history. For more information, please see our Can the police officers count on you?. It wasnt the usual automated call, and hearing a human voice kept me on the line. And the Morton Police Department in Illinois posted on Facebook about calls from a mysterious phone number with a local area code last year. The case has not yet been resolved. 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 . For example, in 2019, nearly 90% of the organizations income was spent on its programming. Concerns of Police Survivors. You read that correctly. The National Police Support Fund is a legitimate organization that supports the interests of America's law enforcement officers. 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. 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 . Getting 3 to 5 calls a day from 315-410-0874 phone number. On 12/30/2018, I received a call from (862) 333-2411 from a man with a deep voice and a southern accent, who identified himself as Dan, if I would like to make a donation to the National Police Trust Fund. Gotten calls like this? FEC filings show that of the group's minimal political spending, most has gone toward pro-Trump advertising such as billboards. JW August is a San Diego-based broadcast and digital journalist. Andy Cottam is among the many who received the call. National Police Defense Foundation has earned a 81% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. 2023 Cable News Network. I did satisfy my rather small donation at their website https://nationalpolicesupportfund.com . The former employee, who asked to remain anonymous because of a nondisclosure agreement, said he remembered fundraising companies outsourcing some of the telemarketing overseas to locations like the Philippines, where they relied on recordings instead of live agents. Contributions made to National Police Support Fund are not tax-deductible. In fact, as Ive previously , supporting law enforcement and supporting reform movements such as Black Lives Matter are not mutually exclusive. 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! 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). It appears there are a number of nonprofits up and running under the apparent control of Fotis. What can we learn from the latest Coinbase cyberattack? With everything that's happening this pandemic year, people are getting more and more calls to support their local police. Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps"). 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. The source of the funding information was OpenSecrets, a database that tracks spending in U.S. politics run by the Center for Responsive Politics. For more information, please refer to the IRS definition of Political Organization. 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. You May Like: Do You Need A Degree To Become A Police Officer. The caller said he was phoning on behalf of the Committee for Police Officers Defense. The latter is the name of the PAC I found earlier that had raised $3.2 million in contributions. The recording says it is "Kenneth Allen from the National Police Support Fund" and they are asking for donations. After further investigation, they are not approved by the better business bureau and they have nothing but horrible reviews . For anyone interested in supporting law enforcement, experts say, think local. Nonprofit however does not mean they are a charity. Also worth noting is that while his organization is based in Virginia, and gets its mail in Stafford, TX, Fotis lives in Lake Worth, FL. 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. That means of a $35 donation, no more than $3.50 goes to their stated cause. AARP Membership - LIMITED TIME FLASH SALE. 2. Did you encounter any technical issues? They count on local press coverage and a quick website. The safest way to donate on social media or crowdfunding campaign is to give to people you actually know. The organization began as a service program providing mentorship and outreach activities to youth as a way to combat juvenile crime. It sounded like the solicitor was calling from a boiler room, where individuals dial from a list of working phone numbers. The union has recently claimed to have more than 100,000 members, but the IUPA has reported around 20,000 members in tax filings. Simple: less scrutiny. National Police Association Inc. has earned a 60% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. Published Mostly they are the products of individual scammers who smell an opportunity to cash in using the name of a victim who may or may not even be real. One very common hustle is the name game. The BBB said days later, the New Jersey State Police photo had been removed from the site. Whether the website is from the same sector as nationalpolicesupportfund.com or not, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Once it was blocked through my service provider, an additional phone number began to call my home multiple times a day. Only one replied directly: 90 percent went to fundraising, and 10 percent went to police support. When I googled the fund, a BBB caution was the first result. Only one replied directly: 90 percent went to fundraising, and 10 percent went to police support. UPDATE 2020-10-29: Another new call from 585-206-3552 with a similar pre-recorded voice auto-responder identifying as 'Jeff Scott' with the National Police Support Fund. This would allow me a chance to talk to your wife about considering further contributions. generic photos, there is no real content validating that they do anything to actually support the police. 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. Here are the Top 7 Amazon scam calls. 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/. Campaign finance data, however, shows that about 98% of the money spent is not being used for this mission. 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 . 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. Not authorized by any candidate or . One of the more successful scams is when the scammer poses as one of many charities benefitting Law Enforcement. Please note that many legitimate local (and unaffiliated) police foundations and organizations may solicit donations from local communities via telephone and mail. Dont send your money to a national group collecting for causes that may not always be clear. We don't engage in telemarketing. 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. 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. 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. On 10/29/20 a man called to get pledges for national police support fund. January 11, 2019. The super PAC said on Facebook in September that it had placed this billboard in multiple locations throughout Wisconsin and that more would be coming. We do not support nor do we condone this group, the post stated. The National Police Association advocates Support the Police, and Back the Blue, because Blue Lives Matter. A hustle is like the 70s disco dance. A special program within the International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO.Speaking With One Voice, Moving With One Purpose. We'll send you the top local news stories every morning at 8 a.m. By clicking subscribe, you agree to share your email address with Times of San Diego to receive our free newsletter and breaking news alerts. I received a call today from someone from The National Police Support Fund, who claimed to be collecting money for a drive.

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