GREENWICH, Conn. -- Attorney General Richard Blumenthal issued an urgent warning Tuesday to parents and school groups against making payments to register their children for sports and other programs through Count Me In, a recently bankrupt company.

Count Me In, a Washington state-based company recently forced into Chapter 7 bankruptcy, has allegedly failed to transfer tens of thousands of dollars, and possibly more, to several Parent-Teacher Associations in Connecticut and organizations elsewhere, he said.

Blumenthal said he began an investigation after complaints from five PTAs in Greenwich that they were denied $75,000 collected in their name. They and other organizations contracted with CMI to administer registration for sports and other programs, police said.

As part of CMI's service, they said, it accepted online credit card payments from parents to enroll children in these programs. Registration payments collected by CMI should have been transferred to the organizations that contract with CMI, they said, but CMI reportedly has failed to forward the money.

Three of CMI's clients out of Alaska filed an involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition against the company on Dec. 22, Blumenthal said. The case is pending before a bankruptcy court in Washington.

Blumenthal said several organizations nationwide also claim CMI owes them money. He urged parents and PTAs to stop using CMI for online registration payments and challenge credit card payments, if possible.

"Parents and PTAs should count out Count Me In," Blumenthal said. "We will fight to recover any money misused and now missing, but parents should avoid this organization for now.

"Count Me In has no right to retain or redirect money -- tens of thousands of dollars or more -- that belongs to PTAs and other organizations serving our children," Blumenthal said. "Count Me In has endangered vital sports and other extracurricular activities by failing to forward significant sums of money collected from parents. Money that Count Me In should have simply held safely and then forwarded has now vanished without explanation.”

Blumenthal said those who paid the company by credit card should call the credit card company immediately to try and reverse the charges. He said there's a time limit so it must be done quickly.

He said he also wants to hear from anyone who paid the company or any PTA that may have lost money in the deal.