800-594-7306

bogus call. made up a company name associated with disabled vets. checked. does not exist.

I received a call from "Breast Cancer Research & Support Fund" to send a $15 donation for breast cancer. When I rec'd the info, the notice said that "Courtesy Call, Inc" was the professional fundraiser at (800) 594-7306. Further research shows that BCRSF is associated with Seven Sisters of Healing (ADDR: 4699 N Federal Hwy 101-H, Pompano Bch-Contact Doug Sailors), which has changed it's name to Community Charity Advancement, also a 501(c)3 org. These are run by Francis P. Ferrer JR (President) (Also president of FF Coppola Services in Ft Lauderdale). -- I found an IRS document which shows that $1.7 million was reported in revenue in 2010, but almost ALL went to EXPENSES. Courtesy Call Inc (located in Las Vegas) rec'd $190k for fundraising.(They raised $220K)-- The SSofH books are kept by F.U.M Management Corp at 1788 Bay Drive, Pompano Bch Fl which is a 3BR, 2bath million dollar condo at Hillsboro Bay by the Sea, owned by Martha Caffersky (thank you Internet).  A further search on this address shows Nielsen Media Research at 954-545-0458. I'm betting that all of it is a scam. -- NOTE: the IRS filing shows that they "provided cancer medicine to South America". The form also showed $1.5 million for Drugs and Medicine.  --  How is this related to "Cancer Research"? see http://www.communitycharityadvancement.org/Da ... 990report_b.pdf
I THINK THIS IS A SCAM!

Incredible research! I've noticed the same voices on the phone for this and various "veterans" and "troopers" fundraising groups. Why can't the police or FBI shut this scam down?
If you have time for more research, can you forward your info to the IRS and Florida State's Attorney's office?

I wonder why, too, but I guess they are so overloaded by the sheer volume of scams operating in this country! I got a call from the National Police and Troopers Association-very aggressive phone technique about how much , not if I want to pledge--and then as an afterthought, asks if I'd am comofortable with what I would like to donate--then I get switched to someone who wants to confirm my address, etc..I decided to check this out on the internet first. I am all for supporting our police officers who get injured in the line of duty and to help in fighting crime because many officers are legit and put their lives on the line everyday but this sounded iffy to me. If all these funds do is pay for "salaries" and for alleged meetings-and one site stated only 24% of what was contributed went to what they actually stated it would go to--then I think I would rather donate to my local PD so I know where the money is going.

I spent many hours researching Seven Sisters of Healing and Breast Cancer Research and Support Fund. There are also charities by other names that are run by these people (based in Pompano Beach) according to my research. What's odd is that the people involved are in the ROOFING business (sales I think), and real estate sales. One of the names listed turned up on an Internet post that listed people linked to a Real Estate Scam ring that was busted in Florida.  I don't know if there is a tie-in or not.
Also, one of the other charities supposedly supports firefighters. I suspect this is a scam too.
See www.firefighterssupportservices.org.  
I'm convinced that millions of dollars are being raised by these "charities" and the money is NOT being used in support of the stated purpose of the charity.
If you feel that it will do any good, I'll send my info to the Fla State Attorney General.

I also believe this is a scam....I refuse to send any money even though I received the follow-up...I will give to the cancer fund, but locally, not to this deceptive appeal........Thanks

Remove my phone number from this caller permanently!!  I have been scammed once too often. Thanks

I too received a call from this organization.  I asked what % of my donation went directly to the charity and the reply was an emphatic 100%.  I'm sending my pledge notice back with a copy of this web-page instead of a donation!

It's a better idea to let them send you a letter.  If, as they usually do, it includes a self addressed, postage paid envelope, you can wrap a brick - or something else heavy - in paper, tape the envelope to it, and mail it back to them.  The postage will be astronomical, and they have to pay it.

If there isn't a postage paid envelope, just drop it all in the garbage.

Don't get mad - get even.

I wanted to share what I also learned.  Because I do not automatically believe everything I read, I wanted to verify for myself the research Donna Spadley did on the first couple of posts above on Seven Sisters of Healing, Community Charity Advancement, and Breast Cancer Research and Support Fund.  The pledge form they sent me looked legit and had all sorts of tax exempt charitable information on the form.  They are indeed registered in many states as a charitable organization but that does not mean that the states have endorsed their activities. It just means they have complied with the federal and state laws for filing with tax exempt status. It is up to us as individuals doing the donating to check out the organization you are giving to. I verified for myself everything Donna stated above. I looked at my state's Secretary of State website who has all the registered charitable organizations on a searchable database.  I looked up "Community Charity Advancement" which is not even on the pledge form but on the Seven Sisters webpage as the their new name. Low and behold, right there for 2010 they listed that they had $1,724,993.00 in total revenue and had $1,724,713.00 in expenses.  That means they raised a grand total of $280.00 measly dollars that actually went to the charity for the whole year and I think this is for all of USA.  So they kept 99.984% of 1.7 million for THEMSELVES and claimed they were "expenses"!  Technically speaking, this is not a "scam" because it is not readily apparent that they violated any law and they properly disclosed the information and followed the state laws in this regard...but it is certainly wrong of them to use breast cancer as a means to collect money and claim that most of it was used for "expenses." It would probably require a federal or state audit or criminal investigation to determine if they are violating any laws. I will inform my Secretary of State department and whoever else I can think of to in order to raise awareness that they are probably violating a law somehow and should be shut down. I'm glad I did not give them any money.  It irks me to no end that they deceive folks with their methods.  Thank you Donna for your research and for warning us.

Thanks everyone for the work you have done to expose this scam. They won't get my check.

Thank you for doing all this research. I'm so glad I read these posts BEFORE I sent them money. As a breast cancer survivor, it really irks me that this organization is gaining this kind of profit from venerable people.

Thanks...got a phone call from them a week ago and got their letter.  I decided to search to see how "legit" they were and hit this site.

I got a phone call and then a letter.  I checked it out with the BBB and they said that this organization has refused to give them any info at all.  That was all I needed to know.
They will NEVER get any money from me.  They should be arrested and shut down.

On behalf of my angel mother that was taken from me far too soon...I contribute to several cancer research and screening agencies. I was disheartened by all of the political nonsense that caused the Susan G. Komen foundation to try to find ways to disassociate themselves from Planned Parenthood, an agency that provides screenings to women who otherwise couldn't afford it.
I recvd a call from this BCRSF and pledged some money but decided to look them up before I cut the check. Thanks to all of you...I will send the check to a reputable organization. FYI...the BCRSF is not endorsed by the Better Business Bureau website that has a list of real charities!

They called me, too, and thank goodness I decided to do a little investigating before sending a check.  I fell for a diferent scam one time......never again!!!

Got a call from this number this afternoon. Identified as Breast Cancer Research. Woman sounded like she was in a  call center. I asked for her number and she hesitated and then gave me 800-593-7306 but then changed her mind & said 800-594-7306. I told her to take me off their list and that we are on the DO NOT CALL registry. UGGHHH such a rash of these calls lately. Police fund, Public Safety, etc.

I received a call today from the Breast Cancer Research and Support Fund. When I questioned the woman, she said she didn't know how much of my donation would go to the fund. She indicated the main office was in Florida. And, she couldn't send me the information unless I pledged $40, $30, or $20. I told her I would research it and make a donation online. Thank goodness for this site.

Thank you Donna and Blossom,
I told them I am a bc survivor and I would like to look into their assistance program before I donated,
(all true), when I went to their website it looked very professional but had no assistance available, all tabs said a bunch of nothing, but it looked good as a site until you realize they offer nothing but donations to be made capability.
Best to only donate locally, as mentioned by other savvy consumers above.
Thank you ladies for outing this sham , if not a scam.

My husband received the call one night while we were watching tv. I heard him say to put him down for $25. When he got off the phone and told me what the caller had said my reply was "Bulls&^t". I was not mad at him, but them. My mom also was a survivor of breast cancer. She has since passed, not from cancer though. I knew right away that this was not a legitimate call, my gut told me, or maybe it was mom? After reading your research here I was reassured my gut feeling was correct. This makes me sick. When I read how much of their 2010 income went to actual people I was so angry. My hubby told me the lady on the phone had said this goes to people who cannot afford treatment. I knew that there is very little help of this kind out there and it certainly would not be from a rip off scam "foundation" like this. Just the way the name was a play on the American Cancer Society was a flag. Never had heard of this.
I too have received calls from the Highway Patrol and some Firefighters group for pledges. When the firefighters called I told him I support our local volunteer firefighters (city of 3500 people in southern mn). I asked him "If my house is on fire are you going to come and put it out? I don't think so" and I hung up. I know there are alot of scam artist out there. Get a real job for crips sake... but I am sure they don't pay enough....