Beware of seasonal desperate pleas. Do your thorough research. Listen to your gut.
Beware of giving to scammers during the time we’re all thinking of others in ways to make a difference people rather take advantage of us and a good hearts what I’ve noticed is that so many people ready to trust and so many people ready to take that trust away from us. In Binky Patrol recently we had a woman send us an SOS for blankets for the fire victims in Tennessee. She’s from Tennessee, she was talking about them and their needs as if she really knew what was going on and was ready to dig in and help. It was such a desperate plea we all decide to pull together and I even encouraged our chapters to do this at great expense to each one of them.
Not only did they have to take the time to gather the blankets that were made, but had to box them up and spend the money to ship them all the way across the country. This woman was in contact with us for the initial shipment time but once we shipped them and we asked for confirmation of receipt, not only did you not respond via email, she didn’t answer her phone which has no personalized voicemail. We were taken for over 150 blankets we sent to this woman and will never make it to the arms of the children and families in need unless she’s going to probably sell them because that’s what people do when they scam organizations like Binky Patrol.
After 20 years it’s rare we are taken. But it can still happen. We have changed our policies to not ship binkies for big disasters unless they go to another chapter leader for delivery. We won’t ship. Scammers like this ruin it for those truly in need. We don’t have the resources to toss shipping money out the window . That money could have been used to make at least 50 blankets.
Beware of seasonal desperate pleas. Do your thorough research. Listen to your gut. Sometimes we have to quiet our compassionate hearts and listen to logic and warning signs. It’s difficult to think like a scammer and thief when you are not one.