New Berlin Police Warn Residents Of Charity Scam Mailing

NEW BERLIN, WI— The New Berlin Police Department is warning residents of a charity scam.

According to a Facebook post, a resident recently contacted police questioning a solicitation for a donation she received in the mail. The solicitation requested funding to support a national drive to provide lifesaving equipment to law enforcement, citing an “emergency equipment shortage,” and referenced the “New Berlin, Wisconsin Area”.

The solicitation was personally addressed to the resident and originated from an organization identifying itself as the United States Deputy Sheriff’s Association.

Police conducted a quick internet search of the organization at www.charitynavigator.org, Charity Navigator confirmed the USDSA is a registered non-profit; however, it does award the USDSA a low rating.

While the USDSA and similar national non-profit organizations lead donors to believe that donations collected will benefit local law enforcement, this is not the case.

The New Berlin Police Department does not benefit from any contributions provided to the USDSA or similar national non-profits, nor is the New Berlin Police Department experiencing an emergency shortage of critical equipment.

The Federal Trade Commission recommends contacting local law enforcement agencies to verify they are affiliated with a fundraising group before contributing to local law enforcement agencies, according to police.