CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WJZY) — The letter says it all, and South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond says residents under his watch are getting scammed. 

“We received two from the Fort Mill area saying they are out there soliciting when they should not be,” Hammond said. 

Hammond is talking about Miracle of Hope Ministries. He says there have been other complaints about the Charlotte-based organization in South Carolina. They were also across the state line in Matthews when the alert was issued.  

It is legal in North Carolina for the group to solicit funds because they are a protected religious organization. However, in South Carolina, charitable organizations must register with the state and provide financial records showing where the money is going.  

“Miracle House of Hope first registered to solicit in South Carolina in 2012,” added Hammond. “In 2014 they stopped sending in their annual reports.” 

The organization’s Facebook page states: “We are a Christian faith-based transitional housing unit for men and women in transition.”

“Never registered, I’ve never registered,” retorted Bruce Little, pastor of Miracle House of Hope. “I had an administrator that registers down there which is no longer with the organization. What they did, they kept sending the letters in my name.” 

Queen City News showed the interview with Hammond to Little. Little says his organization is being impersonated in South Carolina. He showed documents from his phone saying he emailed the general counsel of the secretary of state’s office. 

The secretary of state provided a copy of the administrative court order. It shows that Miracle of Hope currently owes $12,000 to South Carolina and they need to show where the money is going. 

“If you would inform Mr. Little that if he contacts us, we will work with him to do everything we can to get the organization back in compliance,” said Hammond. “But until then, he cannot solicit in the state of South Carolina. 

“That is fine, I am willing to work with them,” said Little. “But I will not work with them by calling us a scam.” 

Little still maintains, it is someone else impersonating the organization.