BETHESDA, Md. May 5, 2000 (PRIMEZONE) -- A group of scam artists posing as employees of Goodwill Industries International is soliciting money by telephone. The caller or callers are telling targeted individuals that they have won a car. The victims are told they can receive the car or its stated cash value by cutting a check for several thousand dollars and sending it to an address in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
"We want to alert the public that vicious criminals are trying to milk them out of their money," says Fred Grandy, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "Neither Goodwill Industries International nor any of its 181 member organizations in the United States and Canada is involved in any car contest."
Goodwill became aware of the scam earlier this week, when a prospective victim, an elderly woman in Hawaii, asked her attorney to investigate the tax implications of the fake Goodwill gift. Goodwill Industries of Honolulu is working with local authorities to locate the alleged perpetrators of the scam. Additional information will be provided to the public as soon as it is available.
"We will do everything we can to assist the authorities in their investigation and protect our communities from these predators," says Grandy. "We urge everyone to check with their local Goodwill before sending money or providing other financial information to telephone solicitors calling on behalf of Goodwill."
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 181 local, autonomous member organizations in the United States and Canada, and 45 international associate members in 34 countries. Each organization serves people with disabilities and other needs by providing job training and employment services, as well as job placement opportunities and post-employment support. Through its services, the network helps people overcome barriers to employment and become independent, tax-paying members of their communities. In 1999, Goodwill served over 373,000 individuals and reported $1.65 (b) billion in revenue.