Menomonee Falls police warn of magazine scam

The Menomonee Falls Police Department issued a warning today for residents to be on the alert for a magazine subscription scam that benefits wounded military veterans.

According to the police department's news release:

The Metro Detroit area has been flooded with a bogus company either using the name "U.C" or "United Circulation" or "W. W. C" or "Worldwide Circulation" scamming thousands of residents out of money.

The companies hire late teens, ages 17-22, to go door to door attempting to sell magazine subscriptions that supposedly go to wounded vets from Iraq. The unsuspecting victim is shown a list of wounded vets with names, rank and branch of service and then choose which vet receives whatever magazine that is chosen for the donation. The teens also use the deceptive con that not only do the vets receive the magazines but a portion of the proceeds will help the teen with a sports team, honor student, trips abroad or other school fundraisers. The teens represent themselves as attending the local school in the area that they are fundraising. This is all a scam! The teens do not attend the local school in the area that they are soliciting in and the proceeds do not benefit the school in any way.

The company "United Circulation" is based out of the Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Iowa, area and is a limited liability company. The company does not have a website and they use craiglist and newspaper ads to have field managers recruit the teens to do the soliciting.

If you are approached by any of these solicitors, contact the Menomonee Falls Police Department at (262) 532-8700.