Dear fellow Hanoverians:
\nToday I received an e-mail from a reader expressing concern about a
\npossible telephone scam that has been making the rounds here in
\nHanover. I did some digging with both Mike Thorp, our town\u2019s
\nVeteran\u2019s Agent, and the Public Charities Office within the Attorney
\nGeneral\u2019s Office and have the following information to share.
\nFirst and foremost, if you receive a telephone call from ANYONE asking
\nfor money, I suggest always asking them to send you something in
\nwriting that supports their verbal request, and don\u2019t offer anything
\nuntil you receive the written request. If you don\u2019t know the
\norganization, ask for a return phone number and address so that you
\ncan do your own digging before donating money. I will add that most of
\nthe time, if I don\u2019t know the organization, I simply say \u201cplease
\ntake me off your call list\u201d, and do not donate.
\nThe specific calls that have allegedly been occurring here in Hanover
\nare from a group called \u201cBay State Veterans\u201d. I have been unable
\nto substantiate any information regarding this group. There is a
\nsimilarly titled legitimate organization called \u201cBay State Vietnam
\nVeterans\u201d that has been registered with the Attorney General\u2019s
\nOffice since 1999, but they do not appear to be the group that is
\nmaking the phone calls. Veteran\u2019s Agent Mike Thorp has received
\nsimilar inquiries and complaints from residents regarding \u201cBay State
\nVeterans\u201d solicitation calls. Mr. Thorp can be reached at
\nmjt-soma@comcast.net
\n or 781-829-0968 if you have further questions about veterans\u2019
\norganizations.
\nDiana of the Public Charities Office within the Attorney General\u2019s
\nOffice was also very helpful. If you ever want to substantiate a
\nMassachusetts charity, just call their office at (617) 727-2200,
\nx2101. Their website is undergoing renovations, but there is a way to
\nsearch for public charities annual filings on-line, too. For general
\ninformation, go to:
\nhttp:\/\/www.mass.gov\/?pageID=cagoterminal&L=3&L0=Home&L1=Non-Profits+%26+Charities&L2=Public+Charities+Annual+Filings&sid=Cago&b=terminalcontent&f=nonprofit_charities_database&csid=Cago
\n . To search for a charity’s \u201cAnnual Filing Document\u201d, go to
\nhttp:\/\/www.charities.ago.state.ma.us\/
\n . If you have trouble finding the exact charity you are looking for,
\nDiana suggest searching on a word by using percentage signs as
\nbrackets. So, to search on the word veterans, type %veterans% and all
\nof the registered groups in Massachusetts with the word \u201cveteran\u201d
\nwill come up. You can also review charities’ records and find out what
\npercentage of their funds go directly to services, etc.
\nAs the daughter of a veteran, it pains me to challenge the work of any
\ngroup who may be trying to benefit our country\u2019s veterans. If anyone
\nhas further information about Bay State Veterans or their related
\nfundraising calls, I would be more than happy to follow-up on this
\ne-mail.<\/p>\n
For “Around Town on the Web”,
\nCathy H-B<\/p>\n
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\n“Around Town on the Web” (“ATOTW”) is a community service that has been
\nprovided to self-selected residents of the Town of Hanover since the spring
\nof 2004.
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Dear fellow Hanoverians: Today I received an e-mail from a reader expressing concern about a possible telephone scam that has been making the rounds here in Hanover. I did some digging with both Mike Thorp, our town\u2019s Veteran\u2019s Agent, and … Continue reading