Why does the FEED Foundation keep calling me?

Posted on July 5, 2024 by angelo

Unwanted calls are one thing, but the incessant calls from the FEED Foundation are a whole different beast.

Source: Instagram/Getty Images

One of the evils of the 21st century is the way people use technology for malicious purposes. For example, spam calls seem to be at an all-time high.

As people move away from landlines, scammers have found ways to target mobile numbers. They’ve also found ways to mask their true identities, leading many to wonder, “Why is the FEED Foundation calling me?”

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The FEED Foundation seems to be calling everyone, including their mothers. Some people are getting multiple calls a day, claiming that the nonprofit, which aims to combat food insecurity in the United States, is ruining their lives with its incessant calls.

So why is the FEED Foundation calling us?

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FEED Foundation is not calling anyone. Scammers have created a fake website that “spoofs” phone numbers with the same name.

Unfortunately, an innocent organization is being dragged through the mud by a few clever scammers. Here’s how it works: Scammers call an unlucky target using multiple “spoofed” phone numbers, usually masking the real phone number with a local-looking number.

If the unlucky target picks up, an emotional appeal is used to try to convince the victim to donate large sums of money to the FEED Foundation.

Naturally, this leads us to believe that the FEED Foundation is calling us specifically to ask for funds, and we want to know why! Why call us? Scammers tend to target vulnerable populations: the elderly and recent college graduates who haven’t had much exposure to the inner workings of the world’s scammers.

And no matter how much you ask them to stop calling, they can call again and again using different spoofed phone numbers to persuade the victim to “donate.”

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People are sharing their horror stories about unwanted calls from the Feed Foundation on the internet.

People on Reddit and other forums, including charity review pages, have shared horror stories about how these calls have affected their lives. “I also get spam from these ‘Feed Foundation’ numbers. AT LEAST 10 times a day. It’s extremely frustrating to the point where I’m ready to get a new phone number,” wrote one Reddit user.

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Through research, several people have discovered that when they search for a phone number claiming to be the Feed Foundation, another website appears with a slightly different, unsecured URL. This website, thefeedfoundation.org, is simply a phone number spoofing catalog that collects phone numbers and masks them as the Feed Foundation.

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Many users have discovered that even their own phone numbers appear to be associated with this phantom organization, even though they have never donated, worked with them, or had any association.

In January 2024, when the scam was popularized, the organization posted a statement on its Instagram account and website. “We have noticed that robocalls have been fraudulently contacting our community under our name,” they wrote.

“Please be assured that we are in no way affiliated with these scammers and will never call you to solicit funds. We are actively investigating this issue with our legal team. We appreciate your understanding and apologize to anyone who has been contacted fraudulently!”

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The FEED Foundation is a real organization whose reputation has been seriously damaged by scammers.

While many people assume that the countless unwanted calls are coming from a company called FEED Foundation posing as a non-profit organization, the FEED Foundation is actually suffering. In fact, it is a relatively small organization according to Charity monitoringone of the most trusted websites to verify the authenticity and validity of charities.

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Between 2018 and 2022, the FEED Foundation raised only $373,409. Excluding expenses, these funds were reported to the IRS and used for charitable purposes, as the organization openly shared.

On their website they explain: “We fund programs that build a sustainable and equitable food system for all. We believe that access to nutritious food is a human right and that everyone should be well nourished, regardless of the circumstances in which they are born.”

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Past grant recipients include the International Rescue Committee, MEANS Database, Rethink Network, Mary’s Meals, and many others. Despite their proven charitable giving and 501(c)(3) status with tax ID EIN 41-2271492, angry scam victims have taken to public forums to complain about the charity itself.

Although some people have tried to protect the FEED Foundation’s image on these forums, the overwhelming number of 1-star reviews and complaints has tarnished the organization’s reputation.

They said Charity monitoring:“The FEED Foundation legal team, particularly its cybersecurity team, has advised anyone affected to block calls and report the issue to the appropriate authorities via ic3.gov.

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“The Foundation has also been speaking with phone companies, law enforcement and legal experts to ensure we are exploring every avenue possible to combat these scammers. Unfortunately, this is a widespread problem affecting many organizations, and the cybersecurity experts on our legal team have told us that we are doing absolutely everything possible to combat this issue.”

The truth is simple: scammers are posing as the FEED Foundation to take advantage of unsuspecting potential victims.

And now the organization itself is suffering. One user suggested answering the phone by saying, “Police, how can I help you?” to discourage them from calling. But blocking the number probably won’t solve the problem.

Another option is to download a Robo Call intervention app on your smartphone. Either way, remember to distinguish the charity from the scammer and perhaps consider donating to the real organization.