Phone Solicitors Scamming People, Stealing Donations to Helping Our Troops

Phone solicitors pretending to represent Stoneham-based , a nonprofit organization that sends care packages to area soldiers stationed overseas, have defrauded people from around the state, according to HOT co-founder Frank Geary.

"We have been made aware that there is at least two organizations making phone calls requesting money donations for our orginization but the checks have to made out to them," said Geary in an email to Stoneham Patch. "We have never made phone calls and do not intend to start.

"At the moment we are only aware of phone calls. Unfortunately we don't know how many ways people have been contacted."

The have been contacted and are investigating the matter, Geary said. However, the incidents haven't occurred just in town, he added.

"This is not only taking place in Stoneham but all over the area," Geary said, adding that the first report came in about a month ago. "The first time we became aware of this scam was from a lady in the western part of the state. She sent the check to HOT because she didn't remember who to make the check out to so she mailed it to HOT.

"I guess one of the reasons for this scam is that people see an opportunity to make money at the expense of the service men (and) women serving in Iraq (and) Afghanistan."

It's unclear how many thefts or how much money has been stolen following these fraudulent phone calls.

When making a donation to the nonprofit, checks should be made out to "Helping Our Troops" and mailed to Stoneham Bank, 80 Montvale Ave., Stoneham, MA 02180. 

"This organization has never made phone calls or asked anyone to tape checks to the door to be picked up," Geary said. "The only way that HOT has solicited donations is by word-of-mouth or our newspaper articles.  

"If you receive a phone call or request in the mail  for donations it is a scam."