Outside company scamming local businesses

Havre Public School officials say an outside company is soliciting advertisements from local businesses in the name of the school district without the school’s permission or knowledge.

“If we are asking for help from the community, we’d contact you,” Havre High School Activities Director Dennis Murphy said this morning.

Havre Public Schools Superintendent Andy Carlson said the school district has no plans to run a fundraising campaign via phone or electronically.

“If Havre Public Schools were to implement an electronic or telephone fundraising campaign it would be well noticed in advance through local media outlets and conduits such as the Havre Chamber of Commerce,” he said.  

Murphy said he received a box of T-shirts a week ago with three local businesses’ logos on the back and the Blue Pony insignia on the front asking him to sign a contract at no cost if he wanted to continue receiving the shirts.

Murphy said the school didn’t know anything about the T-shirts and that the district would not use an outside company to produce such a product anyway. Murphy said he didn’t know if the company was charging the businesses.

Murphy declined to name the businesses whos logos were on the T-shirts.

Murphy said if someone is contacted by a third party in the name of the school, it most likely has nothing to do with Havre schools. When fundraisers are involved, someone from the schools will always be involved.