SR firefighters warn <br/>of phony fundraiser
Local fire officials are working Slippery Rock residents about a fundraising scam that tries to trade on the name of their local volunteer fire department.
A bogus “Slippery Rock fire department” sent letters to local residents seeking donations, according to local fire officials.
The real department's chief, Ryan Hanchosky, said letters were sent to residents requesting donations for the Slippery Rock Area Volunteer Firefighter Drive, which has no affiliation with his department.
“This fire department didn't even have the correct name,” Hanchosky said. “Somebody sent something from Topeka, Kansas, to everybody in Slippery Rock.”
Hanchosky said residents should be wary of any communications that appear to misstate the fire company's name. He said another clue that the fliers are fake is that the department doesn't hold their fundraising drive until October.
“We send out a donation letter to the community, giving the amount of calls per year and goals for the year.”
Hanchosky said he has been working with the police department on filing an official report, but he has also posted a copy of the letter to the department's social media page to raise awareness.
“We're asking everybody to not send money to it,” Hanchosky said.
