ORGANIZATIONS
UNDER SUSPICION
CHECK YOUR CHARITY CAREFULLY before donating!!
Veterans of the Vietnam War/Veterans Coalition
| 12/19/2006 Good evening everyone. This afternoon I received a telephone call from a solicitor seeking donations to an organization known as "Illinois Vietnam Veterans." After talking with their solicitor, yes I did keep it polite, I contacted their main office. I got even more of a run around and elusive answers to my direct questions. "What does the organization get as far as a percentage?" and "Who is the parent organization?" After some discussion I decided to contact the Illinois Attorney Generals office to find out more about this "Illinois Vietnam Veterans" organization. Fact 1: There is no organization in the State of Illinois anymore. There was but they "lost" their not-for-profit status in 1994. Fact 2: The organization is being investigated due to the amount of complaints the AG office received. Fact 3: The group is located in Fredonia Wisconsin and does not have a telephone number to contact them through. Fact 4: The AG office suggested that a letter of complaint be sent to the Chicago office so it can be included with their investigation. Fact 5: The fund raiser's name is Xentel. If anyone has any info on this group please let me know. Fact 6: I was informed by the solicitor that the "Illinois Vietnam Veterans" group does fund raising in every state. If anyone has any information or is contacted by Xentel for a donation, get as much info as possible and send it to me and I will forward it on. This might just be the same people who was using the McHenry
County Chapter of VietNow's name to solicite funds. http://www.state.ia.us/government/ag/latest_news/releases/nov_2003/Xentel.html 01/04/2007
For any of our friends who have received a call about making a
donation to the "Illinois Vietnam Veterans" please
check out the site at the end of the message.
This was sent to me about the phone number 309-807-4300 Il. Vietnam Veterans Telemarketing scam and want to be Vietnow/ FOP /?/? The URL below has some background on the phone number: 309-807-4300. The number seems to be unlisted, but this site has some interesting history about the number. If you can not access the site, I can copy the info and send it to you. Thanks for the FYI, we need to keep us and our veterans from being defamed. http://whocalled.us/lookup/3098074300 Joe 01/07/2007 |
| 02/2007 From the Office of the Director of Public Relations Post Office Box 2351, Indianapolis, IN 46206-2351 ATTENTION --- EXTREMELY IMPORTANT Notify your members that there is a FAKE so-called Veterans Organization operating out of Beech Grove, Indiana that has a primary goal of soliciting money through telephone calls with the spiel they're giving telephone cards to our military men and women. This outfit calls itself INDIANA VETERANS RELIEF FUND. They are using a storefront address at 157 Bethel, Suite B, Beech Grove, IN 46107. Telephone (317) 783-1974. Indiana Veterans Relief Fund is operating under a blanket organization called Common Ground Charities, Inc. A Michael Q. Risley, Jr. is listed as Director of Fund Raising and a Tanya Risley is shown to be the Office Manager. I visited the location and talked with Ms. Risley. The rented office space is essentially a telephone "Boiler Room." I viewed about a half-dozen people sitting at small work areas facing three walls wearing headphones and mikes making telephone calls. The front office room and rear telephone room are unkempt and dirty with no trappings of a veterans' organization. No Flags, no wall pictures, no sign of any patriotism. I confronted Ms. Risley with some pointed questions. "How many telephone calling cards have been issued to American troops?" (She said they gave some to departing troops at Camp Atterbury but couldn't tell me when or how many.) "How much money has been solicited since this operating began last year?" (She told me the figures have not been compiled and are not available.) Ms. Risley informed me they are legal. I told her there is a difference of being legal on paper and morally correct in practice! (I am convinced this outfit is only interested in lining their own pockets with cash from proud Americans whom think they're helping our military and our men and woman in uniform.) The Indiana Consumer Protection section of the Attorney Generals Office appears to be not interested in this situation after talking with them at length. IF WE CAN'T SHUT THIS OUTFIT DOWN WE CAN AT LEAST GET THE WORD OUT: VETERANS' & CONSUMER'S BEWARE! Donald F. Myers, USMC Retired Department of Indiana, Marine Corps League Director of Public Relations Contact point Indianapolis Marine Corps League Office: (317) 546 7228 (or write Marine Corps League, POB 2351, Indianapolis, IN 46206-2351 (Attn: Director of PR D. F. Myers) =======================
05/20/2007 OK, here is a statement you can feel free
to use regarding your fund raising efforts in behalf of the
troops. I Donald F. Myers, U.S. Marine Corps
Retired and former Chairman of the Public Relations Committee,
Department of Indiana, Marine Corps League, hereby retract that I
accused Michael Risley's charitable organization's of Donald F. Myers, USMC Ret. I trust this will help restore your
creditibility.
|
|
"Let
Freedom Ring" We just received this message through channels. It originated at Walter Reed AMC. I'm forwarding it for your information and for you to pass along as you deem appropriate. I was just contacted by staff at Ft Campbell in regards to an organization named "Let Freedom Ring" . This organization promises $ 6,000 grants to war injured soldiers - THIS IS NOT THE CASE. This is a rip-off in order to get financial information from the soldiers. Ft Campbell has elevated this information to DA level for dissemination. |
|
ARK Foundation Many debts left unpaid
from Jan 20, 2005 events.
|