Local law enforcement officials are warning residents to be careful with their charitable giving after two boys were reportedly scamming residents under the guise of a church fundraiser.
Marysville Division of Police Captain Don McGlenn said two boys were allegedly going door-to-door in the southern portion of Mill Valley and The Arbors on June 9, “pretending to sell raffle tickets” as part of a fundraiser for the United Methodist Church.
McGlenn said the boys asked for $2 per ticket or a bundle of tickets for $10.
Then, they wrote down each donor’s name and phone number and told them they would call if they won the raffle, “which was not true,” McGlenn said.
“They didn’t get a whole bunch of money,” he said, adding that officers believe the juveniles only knocked on doors that day.
McGlenn said four victims have been identified so far but the number who donated could be higher.
“Some people may have thought that it was legitimate but never called us,” he said.
McGlenn said MPD knows the identity of the two boys behind the scam but cannot release their names because they are juveniles who have not yet been charged.
He said juveniles are not charged with felonies or misdemeanors. While any potential charges will be decided by individuals in the court system, McGlenn said the most likely delinquency charge would be theft.
However, McGlenn said he knows the parents of each child have reached out online to victims and the church in an attempt to “make things right.”
McGlenn said he understands that some “worthwhile organizations” may solicit donations through door-to-door fundraisers, but he encouraged residents to “do their due diligence” before “giving money to a stranger at your door.”
“I would never say never, just make sure you’re asking questions,” he said.