Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 16, 1991 TAG: 9102160414
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A3 EDITION: BEDFORD/FRANKLIN
SOURCE: DEBORAH EVANS BUSINESS WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
It's not unusual for world events to trigger such schemes, said Michael Wright, a spokesman with the Virginia Consumer Affairs Office.
At least one Virginia-based charity has come under the office's scrutiny because it was not registered.
According to the National Charities Information Bureau, a non-profit watchdog organization in New York, numerous "charitable" groups are using telephone and letter schemes to sell patriotic or war-related merchandise.
The groups claim they are concerned about American troops and that their profits are going to charitable causes.
"As improbable, shocking or ghoulish as some of the stories might appear, people fall for them out of emotional or `patriotic' reactions," said Dan Langan, spokesman for the bureau.
"And more `charitable' and `patriotic' pitches, ranging from the fraudulent to the well-intentioned but misguided, are called to our attention every day," he said.
Wright said the state Consumer Affairs Office became concerned about Voices for Freedom after it learned that the McLean charity was not registered as required under state law - a situation Wright said should be remedied any day now.
He said the organization is selling bracelets commemorating Operation Desert Storm for $9.95, with a $1.50 shipping and handling charge.
Concern about the operation stemmed from some customers who discovered that a $100 hold was placed on their credit-card accounts for two to seven days after they placed orders - a routine practice by some businesses.
The hold was lifted once Voices for Freedom verified a customer's credit, and no one has filed a formal complaint with the Consumer Affairs Office, Wright said.
Still, Wright suggested that consumers check with the Consumer Affairs Office or with local Better Business Bureaus before dealing with an unfamiliar charity.
In a statement released in conjunction with the National Association of Attorneys General, the National Charities Information Bureau provided a synopsis of operations to be wary about, including:
Groups selling bracelets or GI dog tags commemorating Operation Desert Shield or Desert Storm.
High-pressure telephone solicitors ask for contributions for packages that contain food, toiletries and recreational items for the troops. These solicitors are sometimes misguided, sometimes "downright fraudulent," the agencies said. The Department of Defense and the Postal Service are asking the public to confine mail to letters and postcards because the packages take up space needed to mail supplies to the Persian Gulf forces.
Troop families' being told that their son or daughter has been arrested on drug charges in Saudi Arabia and being offered help in getting the soldier get out of jail - for prices ranging from $500 to more than $5,000.
Telephone calls offering a chance to adopt a Iraqi or Kuwaiti war orphan - for a deposit. This scheme has been most prevalent on the West Coast.
Some schemes involve the use of 900 numbers, in which consumers are charged from $2 to almost $100 for certain calls.
Troop families receive a telephone call in which a recorded message says: "This is the Defense Department. We just want you to know that your son in Saudi Arabia is all right. If you want further information, dial 900- . . . "
Calls telling consumers they can obtain "gasoline substitutes" by calling a 900 number.
Computer-generated voices selling chances to record messages to President Bush or Saddam Hussein.
"If the solicitation seems legitimate or worthwhile, ask exactly how much of the money you give will be used for the cause," said Kenneth Albrecht, president of National Charities Information Bureau. "Ask for written information about the organization. And think about it for a while."
by CNB