Legal Question

[HemlockGrey]

Ok. Let's a *friend* needs 1093 dollars to buy a sw33t new b0x...right?

Now, this *friend* is not old enough to get a job. He wants this money.

Let us say he creates a webpage. Right? Simple webpage. It is entitled 'The EcoWelfare Concern and Redress Society Homepage' or something like that. Nothing radical. Not PETA or Greenpeace. Just a fake webpage about a fake moderate group concerned about the enviroment who wants to pressure some politicians for some tougher regulations, save the whales, free Willy, so forth and so on.

And they need money. They need it to donate it to several larger, better-organized groups. So, 'they' send a snail mail letter to...say...a few(hundred) people, asking them to donate anywhere between 1-15 dollars.

If a (very small) percentage of this money was actually donated to a eco-concerned charity, is this, technically, illegal?

I-er, my *friend* knows it's roughly equivalent to ripping candy from the hands of children, but he doesn't really care.

[Joe]

Ok. Let's a *friend* needs 1093 dollars to buy a sw33t new b0x...right?

Now, this *friend* is not old enough to get a job. He wants this money.

Let us say he creates a webpage. Right? Simple webpage. It is entitled 'The EcoWelfare Concern and Redress Society Homepage' or something like that. Nothing radical. Not PETA or Greenpeace. Just a fake webpage about a fake moderate group concerned about the enviroment who wants to pressure some politicians for some tougher regulations, save the whales, free Willy, so forth and so on.

And they need money. They need it to donate it to several larger, better-organized groups. So, 'they' send a snail mail letter to...say...a few(hundred) people, asking them to donate anywhere between 1-15 dollars.

If a (very small) percentage of this money was actually donated to a eco-concerned charity, is this, technically, illegal?

I-er, my *friend* knows it's roughly equivalent to ripping candy from the hands of children, but he doesn't really care.

Sounds like fraud to me. Not that it really matters whether it is illegal or not; it's unethical to no end.

[ElBlanco]

No. You are putting these people under the pretense that their money is going to those other organizations to further a cause they believe in. Not this 9supposedly0 hypothetical person's entertainment.

[HemlockGrey]

Well...a portion of their money would indeed be going to other organizations to further a cause they believe in...

[Coyote]

Really, most "charities" raise millions, and only 10% or less of the money reaches its intended goal; much of it goes to support mailings, "administrative costs" and other "needs" which pretty much equate to a summer home in Brazil. It's a shell game that everyone knows about but is still very unethical.

Here's the catch-- your 'buddy' could be investigated by the IRS or Treasury Department. If he's taking donations, he has to fill out tax-exempt status forms and provide receipts for everything. There's a chance he can operate for awhile before getting caught (or discovered during random audits) and end up in deep trouble for fraud. If he's getting money from people across state lines, guess what? It's FBI business. That's the kind of trouble nobody needs.

If this guy thinks he can operate quickly, raise the money he needs, then fold the website before anyone catches on and investigates, well, that's a risk he's willing to take. I don't recommend it-- the amount of trouble one could land in isn't worth the piffling amount of money it would bring in.

[Joe]

In fact, if your friend were to go through with his sick scheme, you would in fact have a moral duty to let people who donated to his "charity" know that they were being stolen from.

[HemlockGrey]

Right.

Well, any other suggestions?

[TrailerParkJawa]

Its fraud. Even if he sends some of the money along to other organizations. There are specific criteria he would have to meet. Especially with the IRS.

The money he would receive would be considered income and he needs to pay taxes on it.

I looked it up, he would need to get a 501(c)(3) status from the IRS.

So basically he would be rolling the dice with the Fed's.

[Mr Bean]

Fraud 10-25 They don't fuck around with False Cheritys last fellow I remeber took in 2$ Million for a False Disaster Relife and they put him away for Fraud

FOR EACH AND EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO DONATED

Thats right he faced over 2000 Counts of Fraud all able to put him away for 10-25

He pleded guilty in exchange for only doing 12 Years and they let him get of light

[HemlockGrey]

Right. So, charity fraud is a no-go.

Still need money. Can't get a job. Humm....

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Prostitution.

[Mr Bean]

Prostitution.

Can't go wrong with that one(Minus the Diseases and mental Scars)

[Yogi]

Sell Fansubs on Ebay.

[Ghost Rider]

or beg.

Not able to getting a job...I mean can you not get a work permit?

I think it is a viable way...but then again only certain jobs allow that but it is Christmas time so a work permit would do the trick.

[aerius]

Right. So, charity fraud is a no-go.

Still need money. Can't get a job. Humm....

Become a professional begger. Tips and case studies can be found here.

http://free.freespeech.org/kaosroolz/fu ... egging.txt

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Prostitution.

Can't go wrong with that one(Minus the Diseases and mental Scars)

I meant his "friend" should prostitute himself.

[C.S.Strowbridge]

I-er, my *friend* knows it's roughly equivalent to ripping candy from the hands of children, but he doesn't really care.

You have to register as a non-profit organization and then hire yourself has a webmaster, consultant, executive, etc. I'm not sure how difficult that is in you area, but look into it first.

[David]

Ok. Let's a *friend* needs 1093 dollars to buy a sw33t new b0x...right?

Now, this *friend* is not old enough to get a job. He wants this money.

Let us say he creates a webpage. Right? Simple webpage. It is entitled 'The EcoWelfare Concern and Redress Society Homepage' or something like that. Nothing radical. Not PETA or Greenpeace. Just a fake webpage about a fake moderate group concerned about the enviroment who wants to pressure some politicians for some tougher regulations, save the whales, free Willy, so forth and so on.

And they need money. They need it to donate it to several larger, better-organized groups. So, 'they' send a snail mail letter to...say...a few(hundred) people, asking them to donate anywhere between 1-15 dollars.

If a (very small) percentage of this money was actually donated to a eco-concerned charity, is this, technically, illegal?

I-er, my *friend* knows it's roughly equivalent to ripping candy from the hands of children, but he doesn't really care.

It's called fraud. If anyone found out you would be arrested.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

Ok. Let's a *friend* needs 1093 dollars to buy a sw33t new b0x...right?

Now, this *friend* is not old enough to get a job. He wants this money.

Let us say he creates a webpage. Right? Simple webpage. It is entitled 'The EcoWelfare Concern and Redress Society Homepage' or something like that. Nothing radical. Not PETA or Greenpeace. Just a fake webpage about a fake moderate group concerned about the enviroment who wants to pressure some politicians for some tougher regulations, save the whales, free Willy, so forth and so on.

And they need money. They need it to donate it to several larger, better-organized groups. So, 'they' send a snail mail letter to...say...a few(hundred) people, asking them to donate anywhere between 1-15 dollars.

If a (very small) percentage of this money was actually donated to a eco-concerned charity, is this, technically, illegal?

I-er, my *friend* knows it's roughly equivalent to ripping candy from the hands of children, but he doesn't really care.

It's fraud. And if your friend tells these people to get other people to donate to the cause, it's almost a pyramid scheme. In any case, it's very, very illegal. If caught, your ::cough:: friend will get a sweet box alright . . . a concrete one with a sink, a crapper, a bunk, and reinforced, electronically locked steel doors.