Reply #18: In an attempt at damage control they're saying it's for fraud prevention

[Lone_Star_Dem]

No, sadly, I'm not kidding. Is fraud protection really needed at a holiday toy distribution charity?

The Salvation Army wants a Social Security number from any member of the family of kids receiving toys to prevent fraud, says a spokesman.

"People have been led to believe that the Salvation Army is in the business of soliciting or checking for immigration status, when in fact we're not," explained Juan Alanis with the Salvation Army.

The Houston Fire Department, which collects toys for Outreach Program Inc, says immigration status is not a concern.

HFD Assistant Chief Adrian Trevino said, "When we get to this time of year and it's time to give back to the community, we don't really care what your immigration status is."

The toy distribution charities say they do ask for some form of ID -- a birth certificate, a consular card, a child's school registration -- to keep track of how much they give out, and to prevent fraud. But Outreach Program Inc and the Salvation Army say that if a family does not have documents, they will get some kind of help.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id...