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Potential Scam - Door-to-Door
None | 11/23/2014 | Self

Posted on 11/23/2014 3:31:23 PM PST by IYAS9YAS

Today I was visited by a young man who claimed his brother was killed in Afghanistan. He claimed his brother was a Rifleman and gave the 0311 MOS. I don't recall the unit he claimed his brother was with.

Something about his story just raised a red flag.

The claim was he was raising money to send care packages to troops. I thanked him, told him I was sorry about his brother, but that I wanted to check the website first.

The site on his "receipts" stated the charity's site was www.thepatriotproject.com (which I found didn't exist), but the man said it was really www.thepatriotproject.net. There was also a phone number, (515) 782-1240 (Des Moines, IA) that was not only associated with the patriot project site, but also www.caring4combatants.org.

Both sites are short on details, use the same background, and same pictures. Red flag again.

The last thing I found was a facebook post that basically called out Caring 4 Combatants as a scam. It can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/wwpinc.fans/posts/10152713624638415.

There's no other information out there on any of these sites/charities.

There is what appears to be a legitimate charity, www.patriot-project.org, which does not share any association (phone number or location) with the two sites above.

Has anyone else here been contacted by these guys?


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Military/Veterans; Society
KEYWORDS: newmexico; nm; scam
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Does anyone have any information on them? I'd hate to disparage them if they're legit, but there are just too many red flags.

Just thought I'd share it here.

1 posted on 11/23/2014 3:31:23 PM PST by IYAS9YAS
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To: IYAS9YAS

I’m in Rio Rancho, NM, for further information.


2 posted on 11/23/2014 3:31:54 PM PST by IYAS9YAS (Has anyone seen my tagline? It was here yesterday. I seem to have misplaced it.)
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To: IYAS9YAS

Nothing further to add but your analysis looks spot on.
Charitable scamming peaks around holiday time.


3 posted on 11/23/2014 3:33:22 PM PST by nascarnation (Impeach, Convict, Deport)
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To: IYAS9YAS

Nope, doesn’t pass the sniff test.


4 posted on 11/23/2014 3:34:26 PM PST by Veggie Todd (The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. TJ)
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To: IYAS9YAS
I run off all door-to-door types. I'm generally pretty harsh about it.

/johnny

5 posted on 11/23/2014 3:36:36 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: IYAS9YAS

charities should have “.org” for a website.


6 posted on 11/23/2014 3:40:59 PM PST by TurboZamboni (Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.-JFK)
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To: IYAS9YAS

I agree. Stick with legitimate charities like The Fisher House.


7 posted on 11/23/2014 3:45:21 PM PST by ops33 (Senior Master Sergeant, USAF (Retired))
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To: JRandomFreeper
I run off all door-to-door types.

I never run off Democrat-get-out-vote types. I talk to them as long as possible and try to delay them as much as I can.

I hope by doing so I am reducing their effectiveness by reducing the number of people they can see.

8 posted on 11/23/2014 3:45:41 PM PST by Michael.SF. (It takes a gun to feed a village.)
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To: JRandomFreeper
I run off all door-to-door types. I'm generally pretty harsh about it.

Same here but I let my dog do most of the talking...


9 posted on 11/23/2014 3:46:13 PM PST by SamAdams76
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To: SamAdams76
I look a lot like that when I run them off, but my face has more hair on it in the winter. ;)

/johnny

10 posted on 11/23/2014 3:48:06 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: IYAS9YAS

Can’t help you much bud. But having lost my first-born son in combat in Iraq, I am somewhat resistant to scams and whatnot. I open my arms to them and then, guess what, they back away.


11 posted on 11/23/2014 3:48:42 PM PST by USMCPOP (Father of LCpl. Karl Linn, KIA 1/26/2005 Al Haqlaniyah, Iraq)
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To: IYAS9YAS

I let my Doberman answer the doorbell. Usually people flee before I can even open the door.


12 posted on 11/23/2014 3:50:44 PM PST by TheConservativeParty
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To: IYAS9YAS
I did a Google and found this charity:

http://www.patriot-project.org/

Doesn't sound like the charity your visitor represents.

A number of scams use the same name of or a similar sounding name m to a reputable charity. Beware!

13 posted on 11/23/2014 3:51:44 PM PST by fatnotlazy
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To: IYAS9YAS
0300 is Marine infantryman IIRC (I was Army so I'm not sure).Given the well deserved pride that Marines,and Marine families,have in the Corps the guy at your door surely would have mentioned the Marines...if he was legit and knew what he was talking about.

It sounds pretty sketchy to me.

14 posted on 11/23/2014 3:52:45 PM PST by Gay State Conservative (Jimmy Carter;No Longer The Worst President In My Lifetime)
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To: TurboZamboni
charities should have “.org” for a website.

That was my first red flag. The secondary site "caring4combatants" did have the dot org, but was almost identical to the first, with the same phone number.

15 posted on 11/23/2014 3:53:53 PM PST by IYAS9YAS (Has anyone seen my tagline? It was here yesterday. I seem to have misplaced it.)
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To: IYAS9YAS

Check charity navigator.com


16 posted on 11/23/2014 3:54:00 PM PST by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: fatnotlazy
Doesn't sound like the charity your visitor represents.

That was the one I found that I thought was legit, they appear to be soliciting chiropractors for helping troops.

17 posted on 11/23/2014 3:55:41 PM PST by IYAS9YAS (Has anyone seen my tagline? It was here yesterday. I seem to have misplaced it.)
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To: JRandomFreeper
Amen brother


18 posted on 11/23/2014 3:56:33 PM PST by Brother Cracker (You are more likely to find krugerrands in a Cracker Jack box than 22 ammo at Wal-Mart)
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To: IYAS9YAS

I finally put a no soliciting sign on the front door even as tacky as it looks. If they knock, they deserve what they get... and I’m not at all nice about it. I have my favorite charity and I deal with it personally, door knockers or people walking up to my vehicle are shooed away in the most rude fashion possible. You get to that point in life where you just get so sick of the scams and games that you start to retaliate. The only ones I’ve ever been nice to are the Jo-ho’s. As irritating as they can be, at least I understand their plight.


19 posted on 11/23/2014 3:57:46 PM PST by FunkyZero (... I've got a Grand Piano to prop up my mortal remains)
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To: Gay State Conservative
if he was legit and knew what he was talking about.

What was funny was he mentioned 0311, which I knew, because my buddy at work was an 0311, and we talk about things on occasion.

He also asked if I served, and when I mentioned Air Force, by coinkydink, his mom and dad were both currently serving in the Air Force (not impossible, given his age, but improbable), with the mom at Hill AFB, UT and the dad right here at Kirtland AFB, NM.

I wonder if I'd have said Army, if the parents would have been in the Army.

He did actually get cash money from a neighbor, which ticks me off. My neighbor is a Marine Veteran. Playing on the heartstrings.

20 posted on 11/23/2014 3:59:54 PM PST by IYAS9YAS (Has anyone seen my tagline? It was here yesterday. I seem to have misplaced it.)
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