Crime & Safety

Phony Firemen Solicit Donations

The Marietta Fire Department won't go door-to-door seeking charitable contributions.

Beware of people in civilian clothes claiming to be fire officials.

Two men pretending to be employees reportedly solicited money Friday in East Marietta for a nonexistent charity, Marietta Public Safety said in a news release.

The and Fire departments are searching for the culprits, described as heavy-set white men who appeared to be 5 feet, 10 inches to 6 feet tall and between 55 and 60 years old.

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Employees at a business in East Gate Shopping Center, at the intersection of South Marietta Parkway and Lower Roswell Road, said the two men arrived about 11:45 a.m. The men said they were collecting donations for a charity that benefits firefighters and their families.

One of the men had a gold Fire Department badge around his neck.

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The men left in a burgundy Honda Accord, possibly with the Georgia license plate BJN734.

The incident came a little more than a week after the city warned that a fake Fire Department employee was charging businesses for fire inspections.

The Fire Department wants to make several points clear:

  • Its employees will never go door-to-door soliciting donations.
  • It does not charge for fire inspections.
  • Its employees wear uniforms, display proper credentials and drive department vehicles when on official business.

If you have information about the charity scam, you can call the Marietta Police Tip Line at 770-794-6990 or the Marietta Fire Department at 770-794-5458.


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