As we get into the holiday season, many of us get letters and phone calls
requesting contributions to various charitable organizations. Most charities receive most of their
donations between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The vast majority of charities do very wonderful work for the needy and
we are certainly fortunate to have so many people dedicated to serving
others.
However, there are always a few rotten apples in the charitable
organization barrel that can spoil the entire process and give a bad name to
the legitimate charities. We all need to
make wise choices in donating money because some organizations that claim to be
charities may not be entirely legitimate.
It is important for people to take the time to make sure that whatever
money or items they are donating will be used appropriately. Any honest and legitimate organization will
be willing to share pertinent information with potential givers.
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When charities contact you asking for donations, it is a good idea to ask
that charity to provide written information about the organization including
the exact name of the organization, the organization’s purpose, tax
identification number, and how much of each dollar is used for true charitable
purposes. Some groups use names that
sound like established charities in order to confuse potential donors.
Givers should be wary of the following tactics that many fraudulent
organizations use:
1. High pressure calls and mail solicitations that emphasize emotional content
but contain little or no substance;
2. Charities that won’t send written material until you donate. Some may use the excuse that it is too costly
or that there isn’t enough time;
3. Phone calls and letters telling people that they have won money or
charitable prizes from a charity, but that you need to send in some money to
collect the prize. Also some
organizations may send letters stating that you have already pledged money to
that organization. You shouldn’t send
money unless you are one hundred percent sure that you did indeed pledge money
to the organization;
4. Callers who want to send someone over to pick up the contribution
rather than it being sent at a later time.
Unfortunately many unscrupulous people and organizations tend to prey on
our older citizens. Many elderly
citizens tend to be more trusting and generous.
We should all be careful to never give cash or credit card numbers to
strangers posing as employees of charitable organizations. Checks should always be made payable only to
the full name of the charity.
If you feel you have been scammed by a fraudulent charity, you should
contact your local police department to investigate the matter or come to the
County Attorney’s Office to file criminal charges if you feel you have
sufficient information. Criminal charges
can be filed against fraudulent organizations claiming to be charities. Theft by Deception involving less than five-hundred
dollars ($500) is a Class A Misdemeanor with punishments ranging up to 1 year
in jail and a $500 fine. Moreover, you
can contact the Attorney General’s Office at 1-800-432-9257 and they may be
able to prosecute the matter under the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act.
I hope this information is
interesting and helpful. If you have any
topics you would like to have covered in this column, please contact my office
by e-mail at countyattorney@campbellcountyky.org, by phone at 859-491-7700 or
by regular mail addressed to 319 York Street, Newport, Kentucky 41071.
By Steven Franzen, Campbell County Attorney
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