SCAM

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  The Society for Consumer Advocates and Mavens

News You Can Use!

COPYCAT CHARITIES

When you receive mail or telephone solicitations for so-called legitimate-sounding charitable causes the charities may be created to sound like legitimate, reputable charities you know and love collecting for animals, childrens' diseases, firefighters, law enforcement, or anything else imaginable, but in reality they may be nothing than marketing firms collecting donations then pocketing up to 90% or more of the donations for themselves! Some crooks have even gone to jail because they got so greedy by pocketing all the cash and donating none of the contributions they collected from donors!

If a charity pockets more than 35% of its donations for fundraising expenses then the charity's fundraising practices should possibly be looked on as suspicious in nature.

SUPPLEMENTAL SOURCE: ABC-TV PRIMETIME 7/17/03

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