I have been noticing a trend in my city lately.  ADULTS selling candy bars to fund what they state is for their kid's school trip or little league travel or some other story...thing is, there's no kids anywhere in sight.  The wife just paid $2 for a Twix from a lady in the parking lot at the local Big Lots.  Thing is, there is a busy "Internet Cafe" (read: Gambling Establishment) that is in the same strip mall.  Coincidence?

I have a pretty good nose for this stuff as I deal with the lowest common denominator all day at work (inner city FIRE/EMS).  Unfortunately it has made me a bit cynical so maybe I'm over reacting, but something stinks.  I have also been noticing that a few of the homeless we deal with have been carrying an unusual amount of candy bars.  

What gives?  Am I just a heartless prick, or is this a scam?  Any LEO's have any first-hand experience with this kind of thing?

I buy fundraiser candy from the Boy Scouts.  Cookies from the Girl Scouts.  An adult by themselves trying to sell candy?  

Your hunch is correct sir, scam all the way.

All legitimate organizations have the kids there selling the candy

A professional fundraising organization approaches the police officers' association, firefighter bargaining unit or deputy sheriff association.  They promise to raise money for a ball/raffle/candy sale and give ten percent of the proceeds to the organization if it authorizes the fundraiser to use their name.  Free money so the organization says why not?  I've never bought a ticket to the policeman's ball or anything else.  All f*cking scams (unless it's being sold by a real employee of that organization and they are organizing the event).  Don't count on it though.

I've known kids in the hood who just buy a few boxes of candy from Costco and sell candy bars outside of stores saying its for their band/school/what have you.

The kids in my apartment complex don't even try to hide it, they'll come up to you or knock on the door with a dollar store bag full of tootsie rolls and ask if you wanna buy some candy..... I guess it's like the ghetto version of a lemonade stand now that I think about it.....

I don't really have much of a problem with that, as long as I know what I'm getting.   If they just want to be candy peddlers, thats their business.  

With fundraisers, I'm not buying candy per se, I'm helping a person reach a goal or give to charity.  Faking that is fraud, and it's pretty low because it casts doubt on people who are legitimately selling candy for good causes.