TAPS Accused of Fraud by Skeptics
The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) has enjoyed a significant rise in popularity since the Sci-Fi Channel aired the first season of Ghost Hunters, a paranormal reality TV show. Their enjoyment came to a halt when Allison Smith of Skeptical Analysis launched an investigation against TAPS for fraud.
Her organization is a skeptical group devoted to debunking popular claims of paranormal activity. She received complaints from “interested parties” who claimed that TAPS was intentionally misleading the public into believing that it was a non-profit organization. MondoSkepto and the TAPS Tattler had launched their own investigation, but didn’t uncover the information that Allison did.
TAPS has been promoting themselves as a non-profit organization for years, collecting thousands of dollars in donations from fans and holding fundraisers for charities. However, they did not register themselves as a non-profit agency with the state of Rhode Island. Had they registered their company, the records of all donations would have been available to the public and held accountable. Because they didn’t, they have come under intense scrutiny and harassment from Allison and her cohorts.
Once Allison discovered this discrepancy, she contacted the IRS, the Better Business Bureau, the Rhode Island State Police, and the Rhode Island Gaming Commission. She contact the last agency with the hopes of busting the founders (Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson) for throwing a raffle without obtaining a permit. Her attack didn’t end there. She posted Jason’s home address and telephone number on her website.
After numerous emails, Jason was able to coerce her into removing his information. He wrote an apology on the TAPS website. The attacks from Allison and her SAPS supporters continued, despite his efforts to fix his mistake and despite the fact that both the IRS and the police have cleared him and his co-founder of any wrongdoing.
Whether this mistake was intentional or not doesn’t matter to TAPS fans. They have rallied for Jason and Grant since this began and will continue to support TAPS because of the great things they’ve done with their local communities.
“TAPS helped raise over $8,000 for various charities just on our Queen Mary retreat in January alone, and over $4,000 for schools on January 27th in Massachusetts,” Jason Hawes said on his myspace.com blog.
There are many con-artists out there as there are vindictive, spiteful people. Allison Smith does make a valid point in that you should research any organization that you plan on giving money to.
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By 21st-century Phi » TAPS and Fraud on February 3rd, 2007 at 10:39 am
This is not what it purports to be, the attack was motivated by spite, these same sceptic groups said that medium doris stokes did not give money she raised to charities, she always claimed a percentage did go to charity.
Now i dont know if she was genuine or not as a medium, but my brother in law who was a newspaper reporter went to her for a reading, intending to tear her apart in the press, but while he was there, a nun came and was given a fairly large cheque for the orphanage, my brother in law had his reading and he said some it was very good, but off in others, he did not tell her he was a reporter but as he left she told him, he was going to write something on her.
I dont give a monkeys about doris stokes but lets keep to the truth here
By james pocklington on February 27th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
Just been watching TAPS on SciFi - today’s Thanksgiving and it’s been on a marathon run.
Saw the ‘apology’ link mentioned at the top of this page (http://www.the-atlantic-paranormal-society.com/nonprofit.html). Went to look for it. Gone. Went to archive.org and looked. TAPS had it up just a bit more than a month, then it was gone. People should forget so quickly? wow.
I find it amazing that these boobs have the temerity to take themselves SO seriously! They’ve got DVD sets out? People actually would BUY them? Staggering.
I feel smarter after watching this show - you can’t HELP but feel smarter comparing yourself to them.
I did a google for ‘taps’, ‘ghost’, and ‘bullshit’. DingDingDingDingDing - GOOGLE OVERLOAD! I didn’t think that was possible.
I’m gonna have fun laughing at these dupes and their oh-so-techy video toys that ANYONE can buy from supercircuits.com.
By sol on November 22nd, 2007 at 6:42 pm
People seem to need to have a dummy’s guide to charitable giving. TAPS could have been NFP but not a 501 c 3 which puts them in a very different situation– some contributions would be excluded for deduction. I actually checked online to see if TAPS was a registered business or NFP in RI— unless they are DBA TAPS and they have a different name…. then they are not even a corporation, which means they can probably be SUED and their homes taken away if anything goes wrong with TAPS. If they really haven’t incorporated, then how stupid are they? I cannot wait for these jackasses to crawl back under the rock from wence they came!
By Madalaine on December 7th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
I find the TAPS team to be very professional. I have watched several episodes that ended with the debunking ever claim made of the supernatural. Not very entertaining, but points to the fact they are looking for the truth and not entertainment.
-If the IRS has cleared them of any wrong doing (and face it, they will take money from anybody) then that is good enough for me.
-If the fundraisers have given the money as was intended, that is good enough for me.
-If Allison Smith wants to check out organizations to see if they are frauds, that is great. We need to make sure people do what they say.
But at some point she needs to drop it and move on to something else. If she continues to harass people who have already been cleared by the appropriate authority, then her intent changes from helping the public to a personal vendetta.
By john on January 3rd, 2008 at 8:28 am
Goodness, don’t people have better things to do than bash others. Ghost Hunters is entertaining, I watch every week. I don’t always agree with their finding, but that is actually the fun of it. If they aren’t hurting anyone, why should the bashers. Lighten up people it is a t.v. show on Sci-Fi!
By Brandi on April 2nd, 2008 at 6:28 pm
What I find funny..is the fact that this website blog isn’t jummping all over allison for posting jay’s personal information up..That is illegal..Jay didnt give permisson for that..and someone needs to ride her ass for it…Im a paranormal researcher..and I am friends with some of the TAPS Members and many of the TAPS Family Member Network Groups…The only reason this Allison or SAPS were doing anything..is the fact they are hardcore skeptics..Im a skeptic to alot of the paranormal..I beleive in debunking everything..but just because these people have followers and they find stuff that could be labeled paranormal..doesnt mean they are frauds by not contacting the IRS over a fundraiser and donation..Maybe it slipped their mind..They do have lives you know..and they live busy lives…besides the fact of having a tv show they have to film..do research on…and so on…they have families they have to take care of..SO Allison should save her damn complaints and bashing for other groups that are really out there charging for investigations….and sayin they are legit certified investigators…they are the real crooks ya know.
By Zinux_Reaper on April 26th, 2008 at 6:50 pm