Officials warn of group soliciting donations

The state Office of Consumer Affairs has alerted consumers that a Virginia Beach company calling itself Veteran Services of Hampton Roads is soliciting contributions as a charity but has not registered as such with the state as required.

Although the name is similar, the company is not affiliated with the state Department of Veterans Services, the Virginia agency that assists veterans.

As of Monday, Veteran Services of Hampton Roads had not filed its registration as a charity with the Office of Consumer Affairs, part of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. According to the Consumer Affairs Office, the company could use consumer contributions for noncharitable purposes.

Consumers can check the registration status for charitable organizations by visiting www.vdacs.virginia.gov/consumers and clicking on "Charitable Search."