SOLICITOR ALERT: Seeking donations, unauthorized

Bill Fry of the West Seattle Soccer Club was surprised to encounter a solicitor who … not knowing Bill’s affiliation … claimed he was collecting donations for WSSC (among other things):

The individual pictured below is soliciting donations under false pretenses.

He says his name is Omar, and that he is collecting money under the sponsorship of the West Seattle Soccer Club, the South Park Soccer Club, the South Park Community Center, and Children’s Hospital.

I know of at least one business that gave him cash. They forwarded the photo below to me on Saturday.

Today, he came to solicit my business, La Mexicana, unaware of my role with the soccer organizations above. When I confronted him, he refused to provide his last name. He was holding a note pad with a Seattle Children’s Hospital logo in the bottom right corner. I asked him if he had a letter from Children’s, or the WSSC, or the South Park Soccer Club, and he said he was just a volunteer. I asked him where the money went, and he said he gives it to a woman at the South Park Community Center, but he refused to provide her name.

I contacted the Community Center and forwarded his photo a few hours ago. The program manager, Shannon Anderson, said that he does not know this individual and that he is not acting on behalf of the community center.

Bill was planning to contact police.

6 Replies to "SOLICITOR ALERT: Seeking donations, unauthorized"

  • s May 24, 2018 (10:22 pm)

    Nice work, Bill. I hate fraudulent solicitations.  They prey on people’s goodwill and when you’ve been taken advantage of it’s hard not to feel skeptical of all solicitation requests.

  • Alki resident May 25, 2018 (12:19 am)

    I saw that guy near Mod pizza today. The fraud just never ends around here.

  • aa May 25, 2018 (8:33 am)

    He seems organized and diligent. Why not just get a job?

  • anonyme May 25, 2018 (10:11 am)

    This guy is committing fraud.  Why can’t he be arrested?

    • Kathleen May 25, 2018 (2:32 pm)

      He can. Over a certain amount is even a federal crime.

  • Peter May 26, 2018 (7:01 pm)

    Never never never, under any circumstances, give any donations to anyone soliciting them;  they are almost always scams. If you want to help an organization, give directly. 

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