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  Geebo 8:01 am on July 8, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: charity ( 17 ), charity scam ( 35 ), Highland Park, Illinois ( 4 ), mass shooting, Scams ( 1,368 )   

  Mayor warns of scams in wake of Highland Park tragedy 

  

  By Greg Collier

  For the third time in three months, it’s with a heavy heart that we have to discuss potential charity scams in the wake of the tragedy that happened in Highland Park, Illinois.

  As you’ve no doubt heard, a 22-year-old gunman fired on a crowd that was gathered for the Chicago suburb’s 4th of July parade. Seven people lost their lives, including the parents of a two-year-old boy. Scores more were injured in the during the chaos.

  Again, in what has become even more common, the mayor of Highland Park has warned residents about potential fundraising scams during a press conference this week.

  Many scammers take to the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe to set up fake accounts posing as victim’s families when a catastrophe like this happens. However, GoFundMe has stepped up and once again posted a list of verified fundraising campaigns that will go directly to those affected by the atrocity. If you find it in your heart to donate, you can find that list on GoFundMe’s website at this link.

  However, there are other charity scams you need to look out for. Scammers love to cold call people, or send them unsolicited messages posing as a charity. These fake charities may have fake but official sounding names, or they might pose as a known charity resource like the Red Cross. You should not respond to any unsolicited communication as this has become the chief tool of the charity scammer.

  To further avoid being scammed or not having your donation going to where it’s needed most, it’s best if you research the charity before giving any money. You can research most charities at Give.org which is maintained by the Better Business Bureau, or Charity Navigator.

  I think I can safely speak for the entire staff of Geebo.com when I say that are deepest condolences go out to the residents of Highland Park and all those affected.

  No one should ever have to go through this.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 8, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: charity ( 17 ), charity scam ( 35 ), mass shooting, Scams ( 1,368 ), Tulsa   

  BBB warns of scammers posing as crime victims 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Almost every time there’s a tragedy, whether natural or man made, we’re warning our readers to be aware of charity scams. Typically, these scams involve scammers opening up phony GoFundMe pages or cold calling people asking for donations. Unfortunately, the recent mass shooting at a Tulsa hospital is not immune to these warnings. In this instance, the Better Business Bureau of Tulsa is warning about a different scam when it comes to tragedies like this.

  The BBB of Tulsa is warning residents to be careful of scammers posing as victims of the shooting. While the BBB hasn’t seen any instances of this happening yet, they’re saying to be wary of social media profiles that claim to be one of the victims of the shooting. In previous cases, scammers have copied the profile of other crime victims in order to solicit donations. Scammers have hijacked the accounts of previous crime victims as well. As we’ve mentioned in the past, there’s no tragedy that scammers won’t try to take advantage of.

  If someone cold calls you looking for donations, be careful of any that have generic or vague names. Ask the caller who they represent, then investigate them online before committing any donations. If they try to pressure you into making a donation, there’s a good chance it could be a scam. The same goes for unsolicited emails, texts, and social media messages.

  One of the best ways to donate to an emergency crisis like this is to check with the area’s local news. They usually have a list of charities or entities you can donate to that they’ve verified. As always, you can research most charities at Give.org which is maintained by the BBB, or Charity Navigator.

  If you want to help not only during a current tragedy but a future one as well, spend with your heart, but only trust with your mind.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 1, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: charity ( 17 ), charity scam ( 35 ), mass shooting, Scams ( 1,368 ), texas ( 22 ), Uvalde   

  Texas warns of charity scams after tragedy in Uvalde 

  

  By Greg Collier

  It’s with a heavy heart that we have to publish one of these blog posts again so soon after the tragedy in Buffalo.

  As I’m sure you’ve heard, 19 students and two teachers were shot and killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. In what has become all too common, the Texas Attorney General’s Office has issued a warning to be on the lookout for scammers who are looking to take advantage of this tragedy. Unfortunately, this has become common practice for scammers after any kind of calamity.

  The Texas AG’s office has warned residents not to divulge any personal information to scammers posing as charities. This information would include such items as bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and Social Security numbers. They also warn not to wire any money to questionable charities.

  It’s recommended that if you reside in Texas, receive a phone call from a questionable charity to call the Texas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 800-621-0508. You can also file a complaint at their website.

  Unfortunately, scammers like this don’t just try to find victims in the states where the tragedies occur. They will often cast their nets nationwide to try to find victims to fleece.

  Once again, crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has set up a list of verified accounts where you can make donations if you so choose.

  As usual, you should avoid donating to anyone who cold calls you, claiming to be a charity. These supposed charities often have generic names like ‘the victims fund’ or something similar. They’ll use high-pressure tactics to try to get you to pay before you can hang up.

  Anytime you’re solicited by a charity that you haven’t heard of, it’s always best if you research them first before donating any money. You can research most charities at Give.org which is also maintained by the BBB, or Charity Navigator.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on May 16, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Buffalo, charity scam ( 35 ), gofundme ( 10 ), mass shooting, Scams ( 1,368 )   

  NY warns of scams after tragedy in Buffalo 

  

  By Greg Collier

  By now, we’re sure you’ve heard of the tragedy that struck the state of New York over this past weekend. An 18-year-old gunman opened fire on a Buffalo supermarket. Before he could be apprehended, 13 people were shot and 10 of them were dead. 13 families are now probably scrambling to pay for either medical or funeral expenses due to the selfish actions of a maniac. Neither of these expenses has reasonable costs, even when it’s something that can be prepared for. When it’s a sudden and wanton attack of violence, the expenses become even more difficult to raise.

  Historically, when a tragedy like this occurs, victims’ families will often turn to crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe to try to mitigate some of the cost. Scammers are also well aware of this fact, and will often try to use the tragedy to start phony charities of their own to capitalize on such a catastrophe.

  The Attorney General’s Office in the state of New York, has issued a warning to residents they should be informed about these scams before they take hold. To better educate New York residents, the state has a website at CharitiesNYS.com that can tell New York residents if a charity is legitimate or not.

  Many fake charities will try to solicit you through emails, text, or phone call. They’ll have vague names like ‘the victims fund’, or something along those lines. Anytime you’re solicited by a charity that you haven’t heard of, it’s always best if you research them first before donating any money. You can also research the charity at Give.org which is also maintained by the BBB, or Charity Navigator. GoFundMe even has a page where you can donate to verified accounts of people who have been affected by the tragedy.

  In this time of crisis, we really need our donations going to the people who need them, rather than the pockets of scammers.

  Texas warns of charity scams after tragedy in Uvalde | Greg's Corner is discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on June 2, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: California ( 21 ), charity scam ( 35 ), gofundme ( 10 ), mass shooting, San Jose, Scams ( 1,368 )   

  Scammers take advantage of another tragedy 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Last week there was yet another mass shooting in America. In San Jose, California, a 57-year-old man shot and killed eight people at a rail yard. The gunman was a rail yard employee who is said to have had a grudge against his workplace. Before police could apprehend the gunman, he took his own life. While the loss to the victims’ families can’t be measured in a dollar amount, many of them found themselves in immediate financial need. As has become common in these scenarios, many of the families set up GoFundMe pages as fundraisers for the families’ expenses. As has also become common, it didn’t take long for the scammers to move in.

  According to local news reports, the victims’ names had not even been made public yet before scammers started setting up phony GoFundMe pages. One scammer set up a GoFundMe using the name of someone who was not one of the victims while purporting to be for one of the victims. Another phony GoFundMe claiming to be for funeral services for one of the victims had already collected pledges before being shut down as a fraud.

  We’re not saying that you shouldn’t donate to a charity or fundraiser to help out victims of a tragedy like this. What we are saying is to take a step back before you click that donate button. While it’s commendable that your heart wants you to help those in need as soon as possible, it’s an unfortunate fact that scammers will try to take advantage of that generosity. We’re not even saying don’t use GoFundMe as they’ve worked with the victims families to verify their GoFundMe pages. A list of those pages can be found here. What we are saying is that you should do a little research before giving money to a fundraiser that could be taking money away from those who desperately need it.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 1, 2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: assault rifle, Businessethics ( 2 ), Dick's Sporting Goods, firearms, guns ( 14 ), mass shooting, NRA ( 2 )   

  What a company with a conscience looks like 

  

  A lot of companies will try to fool you into believing that they’re socially conscious. They’ll tell consumers that if they buy a certain product the company will donate a certain percentage to a charity. That puts the onus on the consumer rather than the company especially since the company has probably marked up the price on the product in order to not lose profits. Very rarely do you see a company saying that they donated X amount of dollars to a charity just because it was something they actually believed in. Dick’s Sporting Goods is not one of those companies as they actually put their money where their mouth is.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_OgkpF4P7Y%5D

  Before we get started, let’s get the semantic arguments out of the way. An ‘assault rifle’ is not a fully automatic machine gun. One pull of the trigger equals one bullet being fired from the gun. However, with many assault rifles, a 30-round high-capacity magazine can be emptied in a matter of seconds rendering the distinction virtually moot.

  With that out of the way, Dick’s Sporting Goods announced last year in the wake of the Parkland School Shooting that they would no longer be selling assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines, and would no longer sell firearms to anybody under the age of 21. Dick’s CEO Ed Stack said the following…

  “The system does not work,” Stack said. “It’s important that when you know there’s something that’s not working, and it’s to the detriment of the public, you have to stand up.”

  And stand up they did as the removal of these firearms from their shelves cost the company $150 million in profits. Now, the 2nd Amendment crowd may be declaring the end of Dick’s Sporting Goods as many gun rights groups like the NRA have boycotted Dick’s. However, Dick’s overall financial standing couldn’t be better as their stock price has increased since the assault rifle removal.

  Many critic’s of Dick’s have said that their stance has not stopped mass shootings in this country, but they forget that at least Dick’s isn’t contributing to the problem. Meanwhile, The NRA is in trouble of shutting down if their hyperbolic rhetoric is to be believed.

  Times are changing in America and you could either change with them or be left behind.

  Geebo and John are discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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    John 4:43 pm on April 19, 2020 Permalink

    Get lost DICK’S. Ever hear of the 2nd Amendment? And btw you DID just lose a customer. Hopefully, you’ll lose a lot more and you have to file BK. Good riddance!

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    Geebo 8:29 am on April 20, 2020 Permalink

    While you’re free to vote with your consumer dollars as you see fit, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that Dick’s business has been on the rise since discontinuing these items.

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  Geebo 8:05 am on March 25, 2019 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Amazon Go ( 8 ), cashless stores ( 2 ), Facebook ( 179 ), hate speech ( 14 ), Human trafficking ( 97 ), mass shooting, Robert Kraft ( 3 )   

  Cashless stores and Amazon, Facebook and hate, and Robert Kraft apologizes 

  

  Here are some follow-ups to stories we have discussed in the past.

  Both New Jersey and Philadelphia have banned cashless stores from operating within their jurisdictions. Not surprisingly, the city of San Francisco is moving toward a similar ban. Previously, Amazon had lobbied against the laws in both Jersey and Philly since the allure of its Amazon Go stores are that you can walk in and out without having to deal with a cashier and the stores are cashless with all payment being taken through a smartphone app. The problem with cashless stores is that they exclude lower-income families who don’t have easy access to such things as debit and credit cards or smartphone apps. While prepaid debit cards can be purchased, the rates for these cards can often be described as predatory. It’s unclear what Amazon can use to try to push cities into going cashless as their Go Stores offer little to no opportunities for employment.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUUa_iSzaWU%5D

  During the horrific mass shooting that recently took place in New Zealand where a white supremacist shot and killed 50 mosque attendees, the assailant broadcast the attack over Facebook live. The attack was said to have been viewed at least 4,000 times before it was removed from Facebook. Facebook claims that it didn’t pull the video sooner because none of their users had reported it. That seems like an awfully convenient excuse considering that in the past it’s been alleged that Facebook counts on controversy to keep their users engaged which in turn results in more views for advertisers. Toward that, a columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald asks why Facebook can curb such videos from terrorist groups like ISIS but couldn’t stop the broadcast of this hate-monger? Again the answer seems to be because it’s not profitable for Facebook to do so.

  Lastly today, we have a follow-up about the story of Robert Kraft. As we’ve previously posted, the New England Patriots owner was caught up in a human trafficking sting in Florida where Kraft was allegedly caught using the services of a massage parlor. We also discussed how the living arrangements and the treatment of trafficked women in those parlors can be harrowing. Over this past weekend, Kraft is said to have apologized for his actions. In the apology, Kraft seems to apologize mostly to his friends and family for letting them down but not to the women he allegedly paid for services whose lives are treated like cattle by their traffickers. In essence, he’s apologizing that he got caught which again takes the spotlight away from the victims of this degrading practice.

   
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  Geebo 9:46 am on October 2, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Las Vegas ( 3 ), Mandalay Bay, mass shooting   

  Remembering the victims of the Las Vegas concert shooting 

  

  Many of us woke up this morning to the horrific news of the mass shooting at a music festival in Las Vegas near the Mandalay Bay casino. According to many reports, 50 people have been killed and at least 400 have been injured. This massive loss of life has made the shooting the deadliest mass shooting in our country’s history.

  In today’s polarized climate within our nation, instead of retreating to our echo chambers and politicizing this tragedy with our pet causes, we should come together as a nation in order to help victims and their loved ones try to recover from this tragedy.

  If you’d like to help you can always donate blood to the Red Cross. While it may not go to Las Vegas directly, it can still help greatly not just in your community but nationwide.

  Our thoughts and condolences go out to the victims, and friends and families of the victims.

   
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  Geebo 9:45 am on June 13, 2016 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: mass shooting, Pulse Orlando   

  Remembering the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting 

  

  We here at Geebo would like to offer our sincerest condolences to the friends and families of the innocent lives lost at the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando and our best wishes and hopes to those recovering from injuries.

  If anything positive is to come from this tragedy please let it be for us to come together as a country in order to fight all the intolerance and hate that has permeated our society.