Is it illegal to ask for financial help from the general public via the Internet for credit card bills??

Question

I heard a story once that a woman sent an email or put on a web sight she asked the general public for help with her credit card bills. As far as I know she was upfront and honest with her story. Then I caught a bit of news that she was being charged with something. Just wanted to know if what she did was legal??

Answer 1

The problem is that it constitutes fraud.
Internet fraud, mail fraud, tax fraud, etc....

Panhandling might be ok if they are not forcing others to give, but working off anothers sympathy, or good will for financial gain is not acceptable in any practice.

Doug:: I repeat "...working off anothers sympathy, or good will for financial gain is not acceptable in any practice."
Any charities should be doing it for CHARITY. NOT FINANCIAL GAIN!!
Should these charities be found to be living better than those they are set up to help, they should be charged with fraud.
When you have only 3 cents out of every dollar going directly to the charity, that is NOT ACCEPTABLE.

Answer 2

No. People ask for donations all the time on the Internet for whatever (whether it's for college, or a charity, or for writing on a website or help with credit card bills). It's fraud if the woman was lying or mischaracterizing facts somehow.

Panhandling statutes usually require a direct plea for money on the street; I would guess that local ordinances could NOT cover internet communications because there is not generally a direct solicitation.

There are so many regulations at the federal, state, and local levels, who knows if what she did was exactly legal. However, I can't think of a reason, off the top of my head, why simply going online and saying "Help me [for whatever reason] by donating to my PayPal account" would be illegal (unless, of course, you lied in your presentation).

Answer 3

I do not agree with the answers. You can ask people for money if you do it the right way. If it was totally illegal the local fire department could not call your house asking for money, The commercials we see on TV asking for money for children starving in other countries. Here is where people get into trouble. You have to set yourself as a charity, and open a bank account for the money to go to, and report what monies you receive from people and since the charity goes to your self you can not claim not for profit. You have to pay a tax on it. What ever the city and state your in is the laws you must go by. Some cities actually give a license for panhandling. My advice to you would be to go to an attorney and find out how to do it. That does not mean you can do it on Yahoo Answers, but you could on Yahoo 360 or My space, and could use Pay Pal as a way for people to send you monies, and Pay Pal can also be your bank. Just remember you have to pay a tax on what you get and you have to set it up a charity.


vote4me_rgpj, You are wrong in one respect, all charities work off your sympathy, the commercial on TV that shows the starving kid, or the fire departments we need money fund, or the police departments widow fund, those are no different then the I am broke send me money or even the I need money for college. Did you know schools actually send letters and call people asking for money for college funds. Think about it now.


If anyone is in drought, and wants to make sure that they are not committing fraud, or are not being scammed, go here,

http://www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com/tests.aspx
http://www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com/faq.aspx
http://www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com/fraudtypes/foreignlottery.aspx
http://www.fbi.gov/majcases/fraud/fraudschemes.htm

Some charities are good, as long as they are truthful, but be careful, Doug does not want anyone taken advantage of!!!

Answer 4

i'm uncertain what u . s . you're in, yet outdoors the U. S. you may refuse any forex; it is in basic terms 'criminal mushy' interior the U. S.. Even interior the U. S., it is commonplace for small organizations to refuse $50 or $one hundred costs for a number of motives; it is not technically unlawful, notwithstanding it somewhat is in many circumstances annoying. Strictly conversing, a private employer would settle for or refuse any form of fee it desires to. Arguably a *public* entity would possibly no longer refuse US foreign places earnings any denomination (although some have tried). Many organizations require a minimum purchase for credit/debit taking part in cards as a results of fact the financial enterprise expenses *them* a value to run the transaction; at low ranges this value is incredibly excessive and would exceed their earnings margin; effectively, taking the cardboard might bring about them dropping money. organizations are allowed to have such rules - and albeit silly to no longer. in case you do no longer like it, yell on the financial enterprise charging the value, no longer the detrimental employer guy who has to pay it.

Answer 5

Yeah, I saw a news story awhile back about some kid wanting to pay for college. He started a website asking for penny from everyone in the country. Some people donated much more, he ended up getting like $36,000

Answer 6

Seems to me that's the equivalent of online pan-handling. She may have been upfront about it, but it doesn't change the fact that essentially she was begging for money, which is against the law in most cities.

Answer 7

I guess anything is legal if you are HONEST about it, and no one wants to turn you into to
USTREAS (FEDS)
[e-mail]
Consumer (Your state Gov)
consumer@ago.(your state).gov
Actually If you send out emails and I get one I can turn you in to the above address for fraud/ spam. If I so desire.
So send me some money, okay?