Calls From Phony Solicitors Reported

Following a recent rash of calls from impostors seeking money for injured police officers, authorities Thursday warned residents to be wary of bogus phone solicitations.

Calls seeking donations for the “Injured La Habra Police Officers Fund” are fake and should be reported, according to Cindy Knapp, a Police Department spokeswoman. Neither the department nor the La Habra Police Officers Assn. has any fund-raisers underway, nor are they receiving any portion of any independent fund-raiser, Knapp said.

Residents should be especially wary of solicitors who pressure them for donations, or anyone who seems overly anxious to pick up money in a visit to the household, Knapp said. Donors to any charity should ask for proof of the group’s legitimacy and can request written information about the group’s cause and operation, police say.