Madison Business Community on Alert for T-shirt Scam

Madison businesses may be ready to dodge a recently growing scam thanks to information from Drew University.

Across the country, colleges and universities are posting warnings about a group that has been calling businesses for T-shirt sponsorships, falsely stating it is in connection with local schools. The group, Texas-based Jam Sports Marketing, is actually not affiliated with the colleges in anyway, and not licensed to use the schools' names, logos, or mascots.

Drew Chief Communications Officer David Muha informed the Downtown Development Commission of the scam after becoming aware of it.

According to the scam warning, Jam Sports calls business owners, insinuating it is working in conjunction with the schools to sell sponsorships for T-shirt that will be distributed to first-year students on campus. Jam Sports tells the businesses their names will appear on the back of the T-shirt.

After businesses submit payment, the group delivers a few boxes of what are described as cheap T-shirts to athletic departments at the schools. Though the businesses' names appear on the back, the school's name and logo are not on the shirt. The warning going out to Madison business owners says the businesses' names are on the back of the shirt, and an "odd saying" is on the front.

Main Street Executive Director Jim Burnet said the borough, DDC and Chamber of Commerce have warned businesses. He said as of now, no Madison business owner has come forward saying he or she has been contacted by Jam Sports.

The Madison Police Department has notified Madison-based universities–Drew and Fairleigh Dickinson University–of the scam.

A number of schools across the country have been targeted, and have issued alerts. Some of the schools are, Western Michigan University, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, McNeese State University and Rogers State University.