Orange Grove residents warned of donation scam using fallen Marine's name

Jim Wells County constables warned Orange Grove residents after a woman was reported going around town asking for donations in the name of Marine Lance Corporal Jose L. Maldonado. The July 12, 2019 alert put the county on notice that the scheme was using the name of a fallen service member, a tactic that can turn sympathy into quick cash for a scammer.

The warning did not identify a local victim or say how much money, if any, had already been collected in Orange Grove. It did make clear that the approach was face-to-face, which can be harder to challenge in a small community where a tragic story and a military name can make a solicitation sound credible at first glance. Jim Wells County’s constables page lists Precinct 1 Constable Albert Martinez and Precinct 3 Constable Jim Long, underscoring the county-law-enforcement role in alerting residents.

The immediate concern for families was simple: do not hand over money before slowing down and checking the request. Residents were being urged to ask questions, request identification, verify the organization or cause, and contact authorities before donating. In a case built on emotion rather than paperwork, those basic checks are the best defense against losing cash to a bad actor.

The Orange Grove warning fit a broader pattern that has surfaced in other places and through different channels. A 2017 KCEN report described a phone scam asking for donations for first responders and wounded warriors. In 2018, USA Today cited the Federal Trade Commission in reporting that dozens of fake charities scammed donations for veterans and pocketed the cash. WIFR later reported that veterans lost more than $290 million to fraud scams in 2022, showing how often military-themed appeals are used to exploit trust and generosity.