Lubbock, Don’t Fall For The “Sofia” Street-Corner Scam

I recently spotted a woman near the intersection of 82nd & University holding a colorful posterboard with a photo of a sick baby on it, collecting donations to help fix the baby's heart malformation.

Did you feel a pang of sympathy for the woman and the baby? Congratulations, you are a normal human being. However, I need you to reconsider before you hand over your cash.

To me, she looked A LOT like the same lady, and the same newborn baby I saw collecting donations last year. They were in San Antonio a few months back, too.

The reason the baby hasn't grown at all in a year? Because "Sophia" is a well-known scam that police departments have been warning people about. It appears that a few people travel around collecting donations for "Sophia" but are just pocketing the cash for themselves.

Imagine manipulating sympathetic and kind people into handing over their cash. Oh, and if you don't have cash, they'll take your Cash App, too. Anything to part you and your money after they make a fool out of you.

Instead of donating to these street corner scams, may I suggest donating to a reputable charity? Here's a few suggestions:

St. Jude's Children's Hospital is a four-star rated charity for "financial efficiency, sustainability and trustworthiness." St. Judes treats children with cancer at no cost to their families and shares their research openly.

Ronald McDonald House is also a four-star rated charity. They provide comfortable nearby accommodations for families when their children are hospitalized for an extended time.

CASA, again, a four-star charity, trains volunteer court-appointed advocates for children navigating the foster care system. These advocates help vulnerable children find loving, forever homes and it's vitally important work.

Four-star rated Shriner's charities fund, "innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research, and outstanding medical education."

And last but not least, yet another 4-star rated charity, the Lion's Club does everything, "from facilitating health screenings and feeding the hungry to cleaning up local parks and helping rebuild communities after disaster."

Your kindness is beautiful. I just don't want you to waste it on scammers.