Nearly Half a Million Dollars Secured for Nonprofits Following Charity Scam

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today announced that payments nearing half a million dollars were sent to nonprofits following a successful court action against an unlawful charity fundraising robocall scheme. Through the court action, Associated Community Services, its sister companies and owners paid almost $500,000 in charitable contributions that were disbursed to three unrelated, court-approved nonprofits in order to support the charitable purposes the donors originally intended.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This deceptive charity fundraising scheme ripped off generous Floridians and donors nationwide. As Florida’s Attorney General, I am committed to holding accountable those who target and exploit the kindness of others for their own financial gain. It is my pleasure to redirect these funds to legitimate charities that work to provide resources to those in need.”

The funding for the donations is the result of previous legal action taken by Attorney General Moody and other partners in March. Along with the Federal Trade Commission, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and agencies from 37 other states and the District of Columbia, Attorney General Moody shuttered the massive telefunding operation that bombarded 67 million consumers with more than one billion deceptive charitable fundraising robocalls. As part of the settlement, Attorney General Moody recovered and redirected $495,000 to the American Cancer Society, Semper Fi America’s Fund and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation so that the money can be used to assist with cancer treatment and to help military service members, first responders and their families. Assistant Attorney General Ellen Annaliese Bullock of the Consumer Protection Division handled this action for the Florida Attorney General’s Office.

For more information on the settlement agreement, click here.

Before making a contribution to a charity, Attorney General Moody encourages Floridians to follow these tips:

• Contact the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance at Give.org or Charity Navigator to determine whether a charity has any complaints against them before donating;
• Research how the charity uses donations;
• Refrain from providing banking information to unsolicited callers or emails on behalf of a charity; and
• Carefully review the charity’s name before making a donation.

To report consumer scams or deceptive business practices, visit MyFloridaLegal.com or call 1(866) 9NO-SCAM.