Complaint Review: EAST WEST CORPORATION - Connecticut

They filed the following to the above Rip-Off Report: Their email: [email protected] Their name: The Fraud Chick Their relationship to the company: Consumer Suggestion Rebuttal: I think it's terrific you brought up such an important issue. I recently wrote an article for a police magazine on charity fraud. There are loads of telemarketing companies that have capitalized on fundraising--some are ethical and others are not. In the past ten years there has been a surge in the usage of names like Sheriff's Departments, Police Departments, Firefighter's, Veterans and then of course their families. It has become such a craze for scammers to use the names of these groups that the authorities have given the scam it's own name: Badge Fraud. Some of these agencies do hire outside telemarketing groups to raise money. I wish they wouldn't do that because it can make the fraudsters seem more valid when they come a callin'. More and more law enforcement groups are dropping this method of fund raising because of this. Here are some Badge Fraud Cons: 1. Telemarketer calls on behalf of a law enforcement department for a: rodeo, ball, circus, basketball game, walkathon, etc.fill in the blank yourself, and will sell you tickets for $20 each. Sometimes they just want money just for the fund. Many times they will want to send a courier by to pick up the money. Sometimes they will accept it mailed to their post office box. The scam? They aren't affiliated in any way with any law enforcement agency and plan to take your money. Want to have some fun? Tell them to come on by and then call the local PD to have them greet them and ask them what they are all about. I told a courier to come by once and when she came by I told her what I thought of her and her scam and then told her the police were on the way. She was about 30 years old, wearing a dirty pink sweat suit and had a weight problem. You should have seen her run back to her beat up pickup truck. She did not want to have to explain herself to the police. 2. Some telemarketers are representing law enforcement agencies but keep 40%, 50% or as much as 99% of the intake for "overhead." I say it's a con because they certainly will never tell the donor how much they intend to keep. A fair percentage for a telemarketer would be 10% to 20%--no doubt telemarketing agencies would disagree with that. My advice is that if you would like to give to a law enforcement agency by all means do so. Just give DIRECTLY to your local police department and avoid the middleman. Good Luck The Fraud Chick

They filed the following to the above Rip-Off Report: Their email: [email protected] Their name: The Fraud Chick Their relationship to the company: Consumer Suggestion Rebuttal: I think it's terrific you brought up such an important issue. I recently wrote an article for a police magazine on charity fraud. There are loads of telemarketing companies that have capitalized on fundraising--some are ethical and others are not. In the past ten years there has been a surge in the usage of names like Sheriff's Departments, Police Departments, Firefighter's, Veterans and then of course their families. It has become such a craze for scammers to use the names of these groups that the authorities have given the scam it's own name: Badge Fraud. Some of these agencies do hire outside telemarketing groups to raise money. I wish they wouldn't do that because it can make the fraudsters seem more valid when they come a callin'. More and more law enforcement groups are dropping this method of fund raising because of this. Here are some Badge Fraud Cons: 1. Telemarketer calls on behalf of a law enforcement department for a: rodeo, ball, circus, basketball game, walkathon, etc.fill in the blank yourself, and will sell you tickets for $20 each. Sometimes they just want money just for the fund. Many times they will want to send a courier by to pick up the money. Sometimes they will accept it mailed to their post office box. The scam? They aren't affiliated in any way with any law enforcement agency and plan to take your money. Want to have some fun? Tell them to come on by and then call the local PD to have them greet them and ask them what they are all about. I told a courier to come by once and when she came by I told her what I thought of her and her scam and then told her the police were on the way. She was about 30 years old, wearing a dirty pink sweat suit and had a weight problem. You should have seen her run back to her beat up pickup truck. She did not want to have to explain herself to the police. 2. Some telemarketers are representing law enforcement agencies but keep 40%, 50% or as much as 99% of the intake for "overhead." I say it's a con because they certainly will never tell the donor how much they intend to keep. A fair percentage for a telemarketer would be 10% to 20%--no doubt telemarketing agencies would disagree with that. My advice is that if you would like to give to a law enforcement agency by all means do so. Just give DIRECTLY to your local police department and avoid the middleman. Good Luck The Fraud Chick

They filed the following to the above Rip-Off Report: Their email: [email protected] Their name: The Fraud Chick Their relationship to the company: Consumer Suggestion Rebuttal: I think it's terrific you brought up such an important issue. I recently wrote an article for a police magazine on charity fraud. There are loads of telemarketing companies that have capitalized on fundraising--some are ethical and others are not. In the past ten years there has been a surge in the usage of names like Sheriff's Departments, Police Departments, Firefighter's, Veterans and then of course their families. It has become such a craze for scammers to use the names of these groups that the authorities have given the scam it's own name: Badge Fraud. Some of these agencies do hire outside telemarketing groups to raise money. I wish they wouldn't do that because it can make the fraudsters seem more valid when they come a callin'. More and more law enforcement groups are dropping this method of fund raising because of this. Here are some Badge Fraud Cons: 1. Telemarketer calls on behalf of a law enforcement department for a: rodeo, ball, circus, basketball game, walkathon, etc.fill in the blank yourself, and will sell you tickets for $20 each. Sometimes they just want money just for the fund. Many times they will want to send a courier by to pick up the money. Sometimes they will accept it mailed to their post office box. The scam? They aren't affiliated in any way with any law enforcement agency and plan to take your money. Want to have some fun? Tell them to come on by and then call the local PD to have them greet them and ask them what they are all about. I told a courier to come by once and when she came by I told her what I thought of her and her scam and then told her the police were on the way. She was about 30 years old, wearing a dirty pink sweat suit and had a weight problem. You should have seen her run back to her beat up pickup truck. She did not want to have to explain herself to the police. 2. Some telemarketers are representing law enforcement agencies but keep 40%, 50% or as much as 99% of the intake for "overhead." I say it's a con because they certainly will never tell the donor how much they intend to keep. A fair percentage for a telemarketer would be 10% to 20%--no doubt telemarketing agencies would disagree with that. My advice is that if you would like to give to a law enforcement agency by all means do so. Just give DIRECTLY to your local police department and avoid the middleman. Good Luck The Fraud Chick