Two more animal-focused charities in British Columbia have come forward after being targeted by a donation scam involving a fraudster posing as a 90-year-old philanthropist. The con artist sends fake e-transfers followed by pressure to refund the amount—before the charity realizes the original payment bounced.
A growing number of B.C.-based charities are reporting a donation scam in which fraudsters pose as elderly benefactors offering large donations—only to claw back money before the original e-transfer clears.
Two new victims have been identified: HugABull Advocacy & Rescue Society in Victoria and Cat Therapy and Rescue Society in Langley. Both organizations say they were contacted by someone claiming to be a 90-year-old animal lover interested in donating thousands of dollars. In each case, an initial e-transfer was sent for an inflated amount, followed by a request to refund a portion of it due to an alleged error.
Shortly after issuing refunds, the charities learned the original e-transfer had bounced. One organization is now out $1,900. The other avoided loss by spotting red flags and refusing to return funds until the original transfer cleared.
This scam appears to mirror other “overpayment” fraud tactics, commonly used against individuals and businesses. The fraudster relies on goodwill and urgency to pressure victims into refunding non-existent money.
At least four animal charities in B.C. are now known to have been targeted by this scheme.
Authorities are reminding nonprofits to:
- Always verify that donations have cleared before issuing refunds
- Be cautious of unsolicited large donations from unknown individuals
- Report suspicious donation activity to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
