Media Release

Friday March 6^th, 2015

Today’s Scam Of The Day – False Charities

If an unfamiliar charity organization contacts you – by mail, phone, or Internet – be careful.

Bogus charities often use names that are very close to the names of legitimate and respected charities. The end of the year is the peak season for charity appeals. It also is the peak season for the bogus charity appeals.

Warning signs

• High pressure or threatening telemarketers who want you to contribute immediately>
• Someone calls and thanks you for a pledge you don’t remember making.
• Copycat names. Names that might be misleading or deceiving.

What you can do

• If you receive a telephone call, ask for the information to be sent to you in writing. Ask how much of your gift will be used directly for the charity. Ask how much will go toward administrative costs. Legitimate charities have no problem giving you this information.
• Remember on an incoming call a person could be misrepresenting a legitimate charity.
• Never give out your  personal / financial information out over the phone, or at the door. You may wish to make out a cheque payable to the charity. You can mail the cheque later.
• Call the charity. Find out if they know about the appeal and have authorized it and what percentage of your donation they will receive from your donation. Perhaps there is a better way to give, where 100% of your donation will reach the charity.
• Ask if the charity is registered. Contact Revenue Canada at 1-800-267-2384 or click here to search online.
• Ask them to give you the charitable tax number of the charity. Question any discrepancies.
• At the beginning of each year decide which charities you can afford to donate to – send your checks directly to their head office, and feel good about giving. When approached you can say that you have already given and leave it at that. Perhaps you will consider their appeal next year when you decide on the charities you can afford to give to.
• To file a complaint call your local police and The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.

FRAUD…Recognize It…Report It…Stop It.

Strange Way of Letting Your Kid Know You Care

Two Lindsay men were detained for investigation yesterday after they were overheard to threaten to stab someone while having a conversation on a pay phone. On Thursday March 5th, 2015 at just before 10:30pm police received information from a caller advising they just overheard two males talking about stabbing someone.  The males were using a payphone on Angeline Street North in Lindsay. A description of the males was provided.

Police attended the area and located the two males walking eastbound on Northlin Park Road from Angeline Street.  Both parties were detained and  spoken to. One of the males admitted it was him on the phone talking to his Mother and he was upset that his son who owed him money and was supposed to pay him back that day.  He admitted to swearing and saying something like he was going to stab him or kill him but did not mean it as a threat; he was just blowing off steam.  The son was spoken to, he advised he was not concerned as this was how his father and him spoke to each other. Both males were released without charges after it was confirmed that no one had concerns for their safety.