COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – The office of the Secretary of State is warning Upstate residents of a potential scam.
According to government officials, Miracle House of Hope Ministries, an organization claiming to help homeless drug addicts, has refused to file any financial reports with the state to show how it’s donations are used.
In March of 2019, the ministry was banned from soliciting contributions in South Carolina. In November of 2019, the Administrative Law Court held the ministry in contempt of court and issued a bench warrant for the arrest of its chief executive officer, Bruce Little.
“In the past two weeks, our office has received multiple complaints that Miracle House of Hope Ministries is soliciting in the Fort Mill area,” said Secretary Mark Hammond. “Donors need to know that Miracle House of Hope has been banned from soliciting in our state since 2019, and not to give their hard-earned money to this illicit organization.”
Solicitors of Miracle House of Hope Ministries typically collect cash donations by approaching drivers at busy intersections and handing out flyers, according the Secretary of State’s Office.
The office has received numerous complaints about the organization soliciting in Spartanburg, Greenville, Cherokee, Richland, Lexington and York counties.
The organization owes $12,000 in civil fines to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Anyone approached by a Miracle House of Hope Ministries representative is asked to contact your local law enforcement agency.
You can also file a complaint through the online charitable solicitation complaint form on the Secretary of State’s website.
The Secretary of State’s office said you can check if a charity is registered to solicit in South Carolina by using their new Give Smart SC mobile app.
