There have been numerous reports of individuals soliciting donations for “rebuilding the Autryville Fire Department” as well as reports of individuals going door to door in the Autryville community in Sampson County soliciting donations for the volunteer department.
The Autryville Fire Station and most if its equipment was destroyed during a tornado in May 2017. It is expected to take nearly a year for the fire station to be rebuilt. However, scam artists are using their name in an attempt to defraud good-hearted residents thinking they are donating to help rebuild the fire department.
The Autryville Fire Department said they have not and will not conduct solicitations for donations by phone or door-to-door contact.
Anyone interested in making a donation to assist the Autryville Fire Department can do so by mail or in person Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Autryville Fire Department located at 305 North Hotel Street, Autryville, NC 28318, to ensure that the money goes for its intended purpose.
If anyone has concerns on the legitimacy of anyone affiliated with the Autryville Fire Department or fundraisers on behalf of the department they can contact Fire Chief Andrew Hawkins at 910-385-6341.
The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating to try and determine who is behind the scam using the fire department name.
