05/28/2026
⚠ PUBLIC WARNING: “Your Hometown Hero” Donation Scam
If you donated money to people soliciting outside Walmart (or other stores) for an organization called “Your Hometown Hero” or “Your Hometown Heroes” — you were likely scammed.
What They Did
• Solicited cash donations outside retail stores, claiming to send care packages to veterans and active-duty military
• Claimed to be veterans themselves — they were not. Members were arrested for lying to donors to secure donations
• Operated a website at yourhometownhero.org (now offline) and claimed to be active in 20 states
• Asked for $30 donations to “sponsor care packages”
What Happened to Them
• A Franklin County, Kentucky judge permanently shut them down in early 2026
• The court issued a $421,000 judgment against the organization
• All business licenses and permits were revoked
• They are permanently banned from charitable fundraising
• At least one member faces criminal charges (trial in Marion County, Kentucky)
• Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman called it “a betrayal of honor”
If You Donated, Here’s What to Do
1. Report it to your state Attorney General — most states have an online complaint form for charity fraud. Missouri residents can go to ago.mo.gov
2. File a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
3. If you paid by credit or debit card, contact your bank — you may be able to dispute the charge
4. If you paid by cash, unfortunately recovery is unlikely, but reporting still matters to protect others
5. Alert your local Walmart — store management can report unauthorized solicitors and have them removed
Legitimate Ways to Support Veterans
If you want your money to actually reach veterans, consider these highly rated organizations:
• Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
• Wounded Warrior Project
• Fisher House Foundation
• Operation Homefront
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Feel free to copy, paste, and share this anywhere you think it will help. The more people who see it, the fewer folks get taken advantage of.
