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Funny, I was just commenting to someone today that one reason I am hesitant to donate money to a cause, is I have learned from past experience that if I do so, anyone with an affiliated cause quickly shows up via phone, mailings and email with their hand out. And I don't like to deal with all that. So anyhow, check this out.

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From:

heyjana.livejournal.com

That's why I never hand the phone to my grandmother if the caller id says 'unavailable' or looks like a salesman. I always tell them that I'm her. One place wanted to sell us 'credit card fraud insurance' and wanted me to give them all the info on our credit cards, including the numbers. They wouldn't give us a number where we could call them or a physical address to where they were located...I don't know why anyone would ever fall for that, but I'm sure that many have.

From:

squamous.livejournal.com

Yeah that sure sounds scammy to me. How annoying. Caller ID is a good thing... at my last residence I got to where I just kept the ringer off and wouldn't pick up the phone if the caller ID showed "unavailable" for a call. My huge downfall was that once or twice I donated money to policeman's aid groups, where they claim they help the officers buy equipment and stuff. I did this because I read some sad story about a guy getting killed while on a stakeout of a "crack house." Now in Chicago there were actual scams where lowlifes would call claiming they were collecting for some or other policeman's group, and were just pocketing the money. I would get around a half a dozen mystery calls a day, and invariably if I answered one for some reason or another, it was always some kind soul who was collecting money for the policemen, the firefighters, our some other public servants whom one would hope are already well-funded by our tax dollars. And occasional speeding tickets.

From:

heyjana.livejournal.com

Um...those 'help the police' calls are ALL scams. If a police officer is killed and the family is having a hard time with expenses, more than likely their city will have a fund set up for them at their local bank. They wouldn't call everyone in the state. We get those calls too, and they are not legitimate.

From:

squamous.livejournal.com

Well, not saying it is not a scam, but the first one of these to which I responded positively claimed the fund helped the officers buy bulletproof vests and the like. I know, I know, you might think their employer should supply those. But what do I know? Not much. Anyway, their "hook" is always that they will send you a sticker for your car, which I guess is supposed to tell the cops "hey, this car is cool, let them break the law". I of course owned no car during the time I was getting the majority of these calls, which I would always point out when being tempted with the shiny bumper sticker. Didn't seem to slow the pitchmen down any though. Everyone needs such a sticker, that was their position.