The following is a message from the Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department to all members of the public. This regards illegal door-to-door and phone solicitation.
The officers and members of the Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department (LVFD) would like to remind all citizens of Leonardtown, St. Mary’s County, and anyone else who may be affected that WE DO NOT SOLICIT FUNDS OVER THE PHONE OR DOOR-TO-DOOR.
If you receive a fundraising phone call from even a seemingly legitimate phone number or person trying to fundraise for us, we can confirm that it is fake and you are being scammed. In addition, if anyone comes to your front door to solicit funds on our behalf, that person is a fraud and they are trying to scam you. We have never fundraised over the phone nor have we gone door-to-door to raise funds for our organization. Once again, if you are contacted via the above methods by someone who claims that they are fundraising for LVFD, it is fake, it is illegal, and it is a scam.
If you are contacted over the phone by someone who claims to be fundraising for LVFD, politely decline their request and do not, under any circumstances, give them any personal information including, but not limited to the following: your name, birthdate, address, email address, or credit card information. If the individual becomes confrontational, simply hang up the phone.
If you are contacted in person by someone who comes to your door, politely decline their request and do not give them any personal information. If the individual becomes confrontational and you feel that your safety is in jeopardy, call 911.
If you are contacted in any way by these illegal solicitors, we ask you to please call LVFD at your convenience and either ask for or leave a message for Deputy Fire Chief Chris Bell. Please inform him about your encounter in as much detail as possible. If you leave a message, please be sure to leave your name and phone number so your call may be returned. The incident will be documented and reported to law enforcement. You can call the firehouse at the following number: 301-475-8996.
The LVFD would like to apologize to any member of the public who has been negatively affected by this string of illegal solicitation. We have been doing everything we can to correct the situation and we will continue to do so until the responsible individuals are brought to justice. Thank you for your attention.
-Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department
