Is this legit?

[tk149]

I got a telemarketing call soliciting donations for the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police. I asked the solicitor how much of the donation would go to the FOP, and he said 100%.

I agreed to receive their information by mail.

A few days later, I got a letter along with a window sticker and a plastic "Active Supporter" card.

It looks legit, but the letter says, "Although the F.O.P. is recognized as a non-profit organization by the IRS, because of its particular status, donations are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions for Federal Income Tax purposes."

That really makes me wonder. I know that many charities use a FOR-profit company to solicit donations, and that some of these companies take up to 80% for their "cut".

The letter matches this (scroll down the page): http://wifop.org/infokit.html

I've found these websites:

http://www.statefop.com/

http://www.wifop.org/

If I send them money, how much will actually reach the FOP? And why is it not tax-deductible? Are they not an actual charity?

EDIT: When I first got the call, for some reason I thought that this was a charity for widows and orphans (although that was never stated by the solicitor), but looking around that website, it seems the FOP is more of a lobbying group.

 

[Slick5150]

Call your local police department and ask them. Occasionally these are legit, but often times they are not.

 

[jupiter57]

We get the same type calls here in KY. also, they say they are "Kentucky State Police Association".
Come to find out, this is perfecly legal, though they have no ties whatsoever with KSP!

I just tell them that I work with the Sherriffs Department and I would need more information before giving a donation.
This ALWAYS results in them hanging up quickly!

Sounds like this could be a related scam.

 

[buck]

Use the sticker and trash the rest of the stuff. How do you think the telemarketers get paid? Not by the FOP thats for sure.

 

[MisterJackson]

I've never known anyone to say "Whew, that sticker saved my ass from going to jail on more than one occasion! There was this one time, on I-85 and I had 30 kilos of blow and this Trooper pulled me......"

Nah, they don't work

 

[fbrdphreak]

I used to work for one of those groups Yes, I was a desperate college freshman with no job and it was within walking distance.

Anyway, for us they told us to say something like 85 or 90% went straight to the kids. I believe what the usual deal is there is an organization that is contracted out by the state to run these campaigns. My paychecks were from Community Action Group. Let me tell you how sketch this whole operation looked like when I walked in: ****** second floor mini-office, ghetto ass junk tables setup in a semi-circle with crap ass old chairs, phone lines strung everywhere through the ceiling to all the crappy old phones we used. We then pulled phone listings out of the phone book to call people.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: tk149
I got a telemarketing call soliciting donations for the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police. I asked the solicitor how much of the donation would go to the FOP, and he said 100%.

I agreed to receive their information by mail.

A few days later, I got a letter along with a window sticker and a plastic "Active Supporter" card.

It looks legit, but the letter says, "Although the F.A.P. is recognized as a non-profit organization by the IRS, because of its particular status, donations are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions for Federal Income Tax purposes."

That really makes me wonder. I know that many charities use a FOR-profit company to solicit donations, and that some of these companies take up to 80% for their "cut".

The letter matches this (scroll down the page): http://wifop.org/infokit.html

I've found these websites:

http://www.statefop.com/

http://www.wifop.org/

If I send them money, how much will actually reach the FOP? And why is it not tax-deductible? Are they not an actual charity?

EDIT: When I first got the call, for some reason I thought that this was a charity for widows and orphans (although that was never stated by the solicitor), but looking around that website, it seems the FOP is more of a lobbying group.

fixed

 

[OutHouse]

we used to give to them, like $15.00. but i got tired of them calling ever 3 months and thier high pressure sales pissed me off so we no longer donate.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: Citrix
we used to give to them, like $15.00. but i got tired of them calling ever 3 months and thier high pressure sales pissed me off so we no longer donate.

Yeah, their pressure is damn annoying. Eventually I just stopped being an annoying prick on the phone and got "let go" a few months later

 

[JoLLyRoGer]

I donated a couple of times. Don't know if the sticker 'works' or not, but I did get away with some would-be speeding tickets after plastering that bad boy in my rear window.

 

[BoomerD]

SCAM, SCAM, SCAM,. SCAM, SCAM!

Those "organizations exixt solely to harvest cash from unsuspecting dupes like yourself. Legit police organizations rarely do telemarketing.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
SCAM, SCAM, SCAM,. SCAM, SCAM!

Those "organizations exixt solely to harvest cash from unsuspecting dupes like yourself. Legit police organizations rarely do telemarketing.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight, now to take advice from someone who knows what they are talking about.

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
SCAM, SCAM, SCAM,. SCAM, SCAM!

Those "organizations exixt solely to harvest cash from unsuspecting dupes like yourself. Legit police organizations rarely do telemarketing.

Ummm.. Gotta agree with the above after checking to this abit myself.