Navigation Menu

David N. Kirkman
Task Force Alert Chair
Asst Attorney General
Consumer Protection
NC Department of
Justice
P.O. Box 629
Raleigh, NC 27602
919-716-6000

Link to Home Page link to Information on the Divison Link to Staff name, telephone and e-mail link to Topic Index Link to Frequently Asked Questions Link to Hot Topics Link to Training Calendar Link to Area Agencies on Aging Links to other Aging Sites Click to e-mail webmaster Link to the Department of Health and Human Services Disclaimer

North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services
animated image of caution
Door-to-Door Magazine Sellers Posing as Local College Athletes

****** Alert #170 ******

Police departments in the central part of the state have brought fraud charges against a group of door-to-door magazine salespeople, alleging that they obtained money from consumers by posing as athletes from NC State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On Monday, Morrisville police charged seven people in their twenties with obtaining money from citizens of that town through false pretenses. Last Friday, police arrested some of those same individuals on allegations they sold bogus magazine subscriptions in the Wakefield community of northern Raleigh. Citizens of Durham are reporting similar sales tactics to local law enforcement officials. News reports indicate that the accused salespeople worked for Quality Subscriptions of Georgia.

According to police, some of the sales representatives claimed to be college athletes trying to raise money so that their teams might travel to out-of-state sporting events. None of them played on area university teams. Others reportedly claimed that they would donate half the proceeds to well known charities that serve sick children or their families.

In May, a Superior Court Judge banned another magazine subscription service that used door-to-door sales reps, Trinity Public Relations of Charlotte, from selling magazine subscriptions in North Carolina.

******End of Alert******

August 15, 2007

vertical line
NC Senior Consumer
Fraud Task Force

View Alerts:

Consumer Fraud / Alerts

Federal Trade Commission Alerts
(Protecting America's Consumers)

Related links

The United States Postal Inspection Service - Watch