UB Officials Warn Area Residents about Fund-Raising Scams

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Officials at the University at Buffalo are warning the public about college-age students selling magazines on a door-to-door basis who are misrepresenting themselves as UB students raising funds for a class project.

John Grela, director of the University Police Department, said both the Amherst Police Department and the New York State Police in Clarence have received complaints regarding door-to-door solicitors identifying themselves as UB students.

He stressed that the university is not affiliated with the activity, nor are UB students involved in door-to-door magazine sales to raise funds for a class project.

In Amherst, a complaint was received about a woman who said she was raising money for a trip to Europe for her UB broadcasting class. In Clarence, individuals selling magazine subscriptions in conjunction with Worldwide Circulation Co. of St. Clair Shore, Mich., told residents they were UB students. Other complaints have involved individuals claiming to be UB students selling magazines to benefit Women's and Children's Hospital or to sponsor a trip to London as interns on a long-defunct television series.

Residents approached by solicitors using magazine sales to present themselves as UB students are advised to contact their local police department.