Attorney General warns of third-party solicitor school fundraising scam

CONCORD — New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald urges New Hampshire citizens and businesses to exercise caution when making payments to any out of state or third-party solicitor claiming to be selling advertisements or soliciting donations on behalf of local schools or sports teams. The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office has received reports over the last two years, related to these types of scams, targeting six school districts. As a result, New Hampshire businesses have been conned out of hundreds and even up to $1,000.

Generally these reports involve a the third-party solicitation company which contacts a business through email or by phone and claims to be working on behalf of a local school sports team to raise money for the coming season. The third-party company will then ask the local business to purchase advertising on promotional items, such as banners or posters with the promise that these items will be distributed in the local school or displayed at school events and sports games. However, in these cases, the school district has not authorized the company to solicit in its name and there is no legitimate connection between the third-party company and the school. The solicitation company simply keeps any money sent by the business and no products or advertisements are provided. Many local businesses and school districts across the state have been the target of similar scams in recent years.