WGOL
Listen Live
Local Weather
Russellville, AL
37°

Recent scam aims to exploit community support, posing as fundraiser for RHS baseball

When it comes to supporting its school, its students, organizations and athletic teams, the businesses of Russellville are there to answer the call.
 
Unfortunately, a recent scam by a company known as All About Sports seeks to exploit that community support by misrepresenting that it's benefiting the Russellville varsity baseball team.
 
Local businesses have been contacted recently about purchasing ads on a baseball poster with funds to benefit the Russellville High School baseball team. Once a business commits over the phone, it receives an invoice directing it to send payment to an address in Lemon Grove, California to All About Sports.
 
RHS varsity baseball coach Chris Heaps said he's never heard of All About Sports until last week, when he learned about a local business receiving an invoice from them. The top of the invoice reads “Russellville High School 2018 Baseball Poster.”
 
“We've never been contacted by any company about this," Heaps said, "and they are not affiliated with Russellville High School or the baseball team at all. We do our own fundraising, and this has nothing to do with our school or our team.”
 
In fact, the address listed on the invoice for All About Sports comes back to a Postal Xpress building in Lemon Grove. There is no business operating at that location. An internet search for All About Sports in California turned up nothing to show the existence of such a company.
 
At the bottom of the invoice, in small print, is a statement reading “All About Sports does not have any special relationship with any school or organizations.”
 
According to a statement from the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, the solicitation calls indicate the company is conducting a fundraiser for the RHS baseball team. Chamber officials recommend you disregard any information or solicitations for money from the company.
 
A recent scam in Coronado, Colorado, also targeted businesses. A caller indicated businesses would be featured on a poster with athletic calendars for the local baseball team on it. The solicitation indicated the local school would receive part of the proceeds. But officials with Coronado High School knew nothing about the fundraiser or the company.
 
For more information about the scam, or to report suspicious fundraising activity, contact the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce at 256-332-1760.
comments powered by Disqus
Copyright © 2024 Franklin Free Press All Rights Reserved.
Designed and Hosted by RiverBender.com
113 Washington Ave. NW | Russellville, AL 35653 | 256-332-0255