Phony Group Claims to Raise Money for Nebraska Firefighters

Some phone solicitors say they are seeking charitable donations, but officials warned that they may not be who they claim to be. A watchdog group said the money given to them may be going straight into their pockets. The callers claim to be representing local firefighters, but Omaha Firefighters Union President Mike McDonnell warned that consumers should not be be fooled by imposters. "We know nothing about this group. We don't know where the money's going," he said. The group is the Association for Firefighters and Paramedics. Nebraska Furniture Mart's Bob Batt said a solicitor recently called his home. "I said 'Well, who is this?' And he says, 'Oh, this is Fred. You know me, and I'm calling from my buddies at the firefighters and paramedics,'" Batt said. Batt said he was immediately suspicious. "We said, 'No, don't call us again.' Then this shows up in the mail,'" Batt said, showing a mailing. The statement from the Association for Firefighters and Paramedics thanked Batt for his $15 pledge, which he said he never made. "I said, 'Yea, $15.' That's insulting to me, anyway,'" Batt said. The Lincoln address shown on Batt's statement is a mailbox at a UPS Store, the KETV NewsWatch 7 I-Team discovered. The company is based in Santa Ana, Calif., and according to CharitableNavigator.com, none of the money donated to the association goes to firefighters or paramedics. CharitableNavigator.com said all the money goes toward company expenses and salaries. Calls to company President Michael Gamboa were not returned. McDonnell said this kind of organization gives legitimate firefighters a bad name. "You have a group that comes in, commits fraud on the public. It frustrates us, and makes us very angry," McDonnell said. McDonnell said that consumers can verify whether the solicitation comes from an real, local firefighter by calling the union office at 402-551-5760.