Countywide : Charity for Children Is Exposed as Bogus

Police are warning county residents to be on the lookout for a charity that promises to give terminally ill and handicapped children a free trip to Disneyland--all for a $12.50 contribution.

Operating under the names of Lifeline/Jovanti and the Children’s Care Center, the charity might have stolen thousands of dollars from people in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, Riverside police Detective Terry Taulbee said.

Taulbee said the group has used telemarketing to contact prospective donors. Once a donation is promised, a messenger is sent to pick up the cash or check and issues a receipt. Donors are told that the gifts are tax-deductible.

Taulbee said, however, that the group is not registered as a charity with the Internal Revenue Service or the state’s charitable trust division.

He said that checks made out to the group have been traced to local stores and markets, that none of the money has been used to assist disadvantaged children and that street addresses and phone numbers included with the literature are phony.

Anyone who has encountered the group or made donations are encouraged to contact Taulbee at the Riverside Police Department, (714) 782-5278.