Long
Island fire departments are sounding the alarm about an apparent scam from a
donation mailer they say they have no affiliation with.
Don
Mormino, with the South Farmingdale Fire Department, and says a letter has hit
mailboxes in Bethpage, Farmingdale and Bellmore.
He
says the solicitation asks for donations to support an annual fund drive for
firefighters but say none of the money from the Volunteer Firefighter Alliance
Charity has ever gone to them.
“The
company has no affiliation with us at all,” Mormino says.
The
Volunteer Firefighter Alliance Charity has a 57 rating out of 100, according to
charitynavigator.org and has sent similar letters previously on Long Island.
The
departments have taken to social media to warn people not to donate.
Experts
say there are certain things to look out for to see if a letter is legitimate,
including the letter head of the fire department, an email and a local phone
number.
The
fire departments’ annual fund drive mailers are set to go out next week.
Mormino
says anyone who wants to donate but is unsure if a letter is legitimate can
also call.
“We
recommend you use a non-emergency number, speak with someone from your fire
department and they will give you the information.
Alan
Bohms, of the Volunteer Firefighter Alliance Charity, tells News 12 that they
provide fire prevention material to departments across the country, including
57 in New York.