Lynnwood police responded to a call on 196th Street Southwest and 44th Avenue West Saturday, Sept. 7, about a “possible scam.”
On a Facebook post, the Lynnwood Police Department said that “the caller stated that several subjects were walking up and down the street with a sign asking for donations so a young child could get a bone marrow transplant. The initial complainant said they were walking up to cars and knocking on the windows. The subjects had a photo of a sick child that one of them said was a friend of the family.”
Officers found that the same sign with the exact image of the child has been used all over the West Coast, including Tucson, Arizona in February and Eugene, Oregon in July.
Commentators on Facebook have reported that they have seen people holding the same sign in nearby cities, including Woodinville and Thrasher’s Corner in Bothell.
“Please use caution when donating. Make sure you’ve fully vetted the charity and only donate to reputable ones,” Lynnwood police wrote.
They’ve moved into the Bothell location as well, just saw them last Friday out on Bothell Everett Hwy with their sign saying the same exact thing….
I saw these scammers in Monroe a few weeks ago at an intersection of Hwy 2. Unfortunately, the car behind me gave them money. Because people are willing to give their money to street scammers they continue. And, it can be lucrative . Please give your money to charitable organizations. Also, consider this. If this story was real…I’m sure there would be a “Go Fund Me” account set up making a lot more money than asking for donations on a street corner.
I know these people hate me and I so dont care. They are also with the group that passes out those long stem roses. Those roses cost about 5.99 a piece so they have to get a donation of over 6 dollars for every rose. My husband is almost 40 and has been diagnosed with leukemia. He takes chemotherapy everyday and will have to for the remainder of his life and he’s been through so much and yet he fights everyday because he gets up and still goes to work even when the pain in his body is almost unbearable so for them to be out scamming people who work hard is bull shit so Everytime I see them I scream at the top of my lungs that they’re liars and for no one to donate.
They are also near alderwood. This is not the first article that I have come across.
I’ve seen them in the Olympia area before
I’ve seen them twice now in Bothell and Lynnwood with an image of a minor named “Noel” in the middle of an intesection, this is an obvious scam but to some its a sympathy donation when you have a “medical need” for a toddler but this is not unlike what KIRO7 reported several years ago about kids being used to solicit money in Seattle “Are children being used as pawns for panhandling?” This is dangerous because this group was drugging the kids to stay asleep.
I am still encouraging police departments to ALWAYS do a welfare check on anyone soliciting with a minor, toddler or baby on a busy arterial or highway exit and that would also include soliciting with an image of a minor.
They’ve also been on 100th Ave & Edmonds Way multiple times. Don’t give money to people on the side of the road, ever!