Rockford Car Dealer Warns of Scam Calls

It seems like every time you turn around, a new warning has been issued about someone trying to scam you out of your hard-earned money. Here's another one.

I'm looking at an email from our friend George Shaffner, general manager at Lou Bachrodt Auto Mall. And, George is rightfully upset about a scam currently being perpetrated. The reason I say he's rightfully upset is because the scammers are using "Lou Bachrodt VW" as their caller ID.

George's email reads:

Hi:

Wanted to inform all of you that a scam is going on out there.

Foundation for American Veterans is calling customers using Lou Bachrodt VW as the caller ID, and saying that they are fundraising with us.

We have tried to stop this before. It is happening again. The number they are calling from is 815-255-8090. We have a legal injunction in the process of getting served to them.

Do not pledge money. This is a scam.

A couple of notes regarding Foundation for American Veterans, according to MilitaryMoneyMatters:

• The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance reports that the organization failed to provide the requested information, so BBB cannot determine whether it meets their 20 standards for charity accountability.
• According to a Charity Navigator report in 2005, the Foundation for American Veterans used just 6 cents of every dollar raised for services for veterans.
• An article in the Portland Observer in December, 2009, indicated that FAV used 8.67 percent of funds raised for its cause, landing Foundation for American Veterans on the Oregon Attorney General's list of the 20 worst charities soliciting in the state, based on how much of its contributions actually go to the stated cause.
• Wikipedia reports that the Foundation for American Veterans "makes far too many calls to people who are not veterans. The reps hang up before one can get to the telephone and they call up to 8 times in a single day. This practice is not only excessive, but counterproductive in obtaining donations because they are such a nuisance. When calling back their number, there is no option for removing one's phone number from their database."

Also, another charity watchdog group, CharityWatch.org gives Foundation for American Veterans an F grade, pointing out that the group often solicits donors under multiple names, and that they keep 90 cents out of every dollar raised, with only 10% going toward programs for veterans, with the rest being called "overhead."