Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette today announced a Notice of Intended Action and Cease and Desist Order against professional fundraiser Golden Recyclers, Inc., alleging over 2,000 violations of the Charitable Organizations and Solicitations Act. Continue reading “Michigan Attorney General Files Cease and Desist Against Dearborn-based Fundraiser for Illegally Operating Clothing Donation Bins”
Virginia: Consumer Protection Settlement Reached with Donorworx, Inc.
Professional fundraiser to pay penalty for alleged violations of charitable solicitations law
Attorney General Mark R. Herring’s reorganized Consumer Protection Section has reached a settlement with Donorworx, Inc., a professional fundraiser, to resolve alleged violations of the Virginia Solicitation of Contributions Law (VSOC Law) which governs the solicitation of contributions by, or on behalf of, charitable organizations and includes certain registration, reporting, and disclosure requirements. Continue reading “Virginia: Consumer Protection Settlement Reached with Donorworx, Inc.”
Fee Scheme Using Online Obituaries Halted By Attorney General
Today the State of Vermont settled all claims with two companies and an individual who were bilking consumers who donated to charities through online obituaries. Vermont will receive over $15,000 in penalties for violations of Vermont’s laws on charitable solicitations and consumer protection. Continue reading “Fee Scheme Using Online Obituaries Halted By Attorney General”
New York Attorney General Announces Settlements With Vietnam Veteran’s Charity And Its Founder For Squandering Millions In Donations
Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that his office has reached settlements resolving investigations into the National Vietnam Veterans Foundation, which also operated as the American Veteran Support Foundation (the “NVVF”), its former President and Founder, John Thomas Burch, Jr. (“Burch”), and its Vice President, David Kaufman (“Kaufman”). NVVF has operated nationwide since 1992 and began soliciting in New York in approximately 2008. By 2014, NVVF was collecting nearly $9 million nationwide from its fundraising campaigns, soliciting small dollar donations from the public through direct mail and phone calls — purportedly to help Vietnam Veterans. Nearly all of the money raised through its direct mail campaigns was instead used to pay its fundraisers. For example, in 2014, $7.7 million of the $8.6 million raised was used to pay NVVF’s fundraisers. The fraction that actually made it to NVVF was further reduced by a pattern of abuse, mismanagement and misspending by NVVF’s former President, Burch. Continue reading “New York Attorney General Announces Settlements With Vietnam Veteran’s Charity And Its Founder For Squandering Millions In Donations”
FTC Advisory Opinion on Soundboard Technology
Staff opinion letter clarifying Opinion 09-1 concerning the Telemarketing Sales Rule’s applicability to calls utilizing soundboarding technology.
Full text of the letter can be found here.