Delaware County police department issues warning of possible fundraising scam

FOLCROFT, Pa. - Donating to a fundraiser to support a local police department might seem like a good idea, unless the fundraiser is not legit.

Marylynn Jacobs has lived in the small, tight knit town of Folcroft for almost 20 years. She is a big fan of the local police and says she’d definitely donate if the police department sent out a mailing.

"If it was Folcroft, yes, I would. The fire company, yes, I would," Jacobs stated.

That is exactly what has the Folcroft police chief concerned. He says some residents recently received a fundraising letter from an organization called "Citizens Behind the Badge." The chief says it names Folcroft PD as a beneficiary, but that isn’t so. He has put out a warning on Crime Watch.

"It has nothing to do with us. We haven’t spoken with anybody. Nobody from the borough has spoken to anybody," Chief William Blair said. "I just want residents to know it might be a scam."

The letter reads:

"My declaration of support for the brace police of Folcroft, Pennsylvania."

It’s an involved mailing, with 11 to 12 pages asking folks to donate anywhere from $13 to $100.

"If we were doing it and we were involved, we’d let you know what it was for, but this, I have no idea. I couldn’t even tell you what it was for," Chief Blair remarked.

Citizens Behind the Badge has a McLean, Virginia address on its website, says it is a non-profit trying to put an end to the defund and defame the police movement and make sure law enforcement has the support and resources it needs to keep America safe.

Marylynn did not receive the mailing, but says she wouldn’t have fallen for it, "There’s a lot of situations out there like that right now. They’re scams and they want you to donate to this and that and you gotta check into it first before you do it."

Two sisters in Folcroft say it’s pretty distressing.

"You can’t trust anything these days. Honestly, it’s very upsetting they’d do something like that," Paula Garey said. "Hopefully, no one’s donated. Hopefully, no one’s sent any money."