WXOW News 19 La Crosse, WI – News, Weather and Sports |Onalaska Police issues scam alert
Member Center:
ONALASKA, Wisconsin (WXOW) - The Onalaska Police Department is warning people about a scam going through the area.
The scam involves calls claiming to be raising money to buy bulletproof vests for Onalaska Police officers.
"We currently have no fund raising effort underway for bullet proof vests. Those items are budgeted for in the annual Police Department budget," said Jeffrey Trotnic, Onalaska Chief of Police, in a news release. "The only fund raiser that the Onalaska Police Department is currently involved in is a golf tournament for our K-9 Unit."
Chad Marcon, an OPD Investigator, suggests that people should always verify that any organization is legitimate and that the person calling actually represents the charity. He adds, most importantly, that credit card information should never be given out to anyone over the phone.
Anyone receiving a telephone solicitation claiming to be raising money for the Onalaska Police Department can simply call the department at 781-9550 and ask if there are any fundraisers going on, says Chief Trotnic. "The citizens of this City have been very generous with their contributions to our fund raising efforts with the D.A.R.E. Program and our K-9 Unit. It's unconscionable to see unscrupulous people take advantage of a community's generosity and desire to help."
