July 21, 2010 | Read Time: 1 minute
Scam donation checks purporting to be from the entertainment company Harrah’s have been sent to a handful of charities in what appears to be an attempt to defraud the organizations of money.
The fake $100,000 checks look like corporate donations, but they are instead a ploy to get the charities to send money to the scammer. In similar frauds, the scammer contacts the charity to say that he or she did not intend to write the check for the full amount and asks for a portion of it back.
Several of the charities that received fake checks also received e-mails in April notifying them that they would soon be sent a check for $50,000, but none so far have heard from the scammer since receiving the checks.
Gary Thompson, a spokesman for Harrah’s, said the company has contacted the FBI and Secret Service about the checks. The FBI advises charities that receive the checks to notify the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
“It’s despicable that some crook has seen fit to try to defraud charities that are trying to help people in need,” said Mr. Thompson.
At least five nonprofit groups have received the fake checks, including the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, in Fairfax, Va., Give Kids the World, in Kissimmee, Fl., and GlobalGiving, in Washington.
