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Scam Alert Involving Branded Merchandise

Education officials in Tennessee this week warned locals against an alleged scam involving promotional products that they say is being perpetrated by a Fort Worth, TX-based operation that might have committed similar alleged frauds in the past.

Williamson County Schools said the entity, known as Sports Media Marketing, has attempted to collect purported sponsorships for a local high school through offers of promotional products.

According to the education officials, Sports Media Marketing offers to put a company’s logo on a promo product, such as T-shirts, connected with the school – in supposed sponsorship of the school. However, the school district has no relationship with Sports Media Marketing and receives no support from the sales. The products aren’t distributed at schools, and there’s a question whether businesses that shell out money will even receive the items for which they pay.

Williamson County Schools Interim Superintendent Jason Golden said Sports Media Marketing is violating Tennessee school fundraiser laws.

“This company is not affiliated with Williamson County Schools,” Golden said in this report. “Out-of-town businesses typically do not sell products on behalf of our schools or school district. If you purchase these products for our schools, they will not be distributed. We do not accept unsolicited ‘gifts’ of spirit wear such as sponsored footballs, T-shirts, banners, posters, etc.”

Sports Media Marketing has also reportedly operated under names such as “Boost Sports” and “Touchdown Sports”, which have been the subject of complaints to the Better Business Bureau, according to various media outlets.

In March, a local Fox affiliate in Connecticut reported that businesses within the Newington Public School System fell prey to essentially the same alleged scam from Sports Media Marketing that Williamson County Schools detailed. Some Newington area businesses paid money for products they said they never received. While a certain business and the school district reportedly received some T-shirts, a Newington education official told Fox that the apparel was not expected, not distributed and never used to raise money.