Recently, employees of an Arizona company, Action Point, have been calling Iowans and falsely claiming to be disabled veterans in an effort to sell products. The callers have also told Iowans that a portion of the money they spend will go to homeless veterans’ relief.
According to a lawsuit filed by the Iowa Attorney General, Action Point is actually a for-profit business that provides no money for homeless veterans’ relief and does not employ any disabled veterans. Using Iowa’s Consumer Fraud Law, the Attorney General has sued to prohibit the Arizona company from contacting Iowans and making false claims.
This company and others like it often target the elderly because they are sympathetic to the plight of those in need. In one call, an individual purchased $2,000 worth of items from the company.
To avoid being taken by these kinds of scams, be sure you are familiar with a charity before making a donation or a purchase. If you have any doubts or concerns about an organization, contact Iowa’s Consumer Protection Division at 515-281-5926 or consumer@iowa.gov.
For more on how to protect yourself from consumer fraud, visit the Iowa Attorney General’s site at www.iowa.gov/government/ag/protecting_consumers/index.html.