National Police Association Scam Misleading Mass. Residents

A Western Massachusetts police department is warning residents of a misleading nonprofit soliciting money from citizens.

Massachusetts is full of some really good people. Unfortunately, there are still some bad ones out there as well. In an age where people have access to others in so many ways, coupled with ever-growing technology, scams are on the rise.

According to CNBC, there has been a 61% increase in attacks and scams in the past year, and each year they become more sophisticated in their methods. The news outlet reports that consumers lost an estimated $5.8 billion to fraud last year.

The Pittsfield Police Department in western Massachusetts is warning residents of a new misleading scam that has folks forking over money to a group they might not completely understand.

In a recent Facebook post, PPD warned residents to be on the lookout for letters being sent soliciting donations for the National Police Association. While the department does concede that the National Police Association does hold legitimate 501c3 IRS status, meaning they are a certified "nonprofit" their motives are unclear.

The social media post from the department says, "Their motives appear to be more political based than anything. The National Police Association has been reported by several law enforcement agencies because of their misleading mailings."

Despite asking for donations to help "your community" and "to preserve the quality of life" the National Police Association is not affiliated with any enforcement agency in the United States.

PPD is warning folks who have received one of their mailings, to use caution before deciding to "donate" your money.

Echoing Pittsfield Police's sentiment, Charity Navigator, an actual non-profit that rates the validity of different charities, gives the National Police Association a poor rating.