TULSA, Okla. — A local non-profit is ringing the alarm by warning other area organizations of a scam making its rounds.
The scammer is reportedly trying to con organizations into giving up possibly thousands of dollars of much-needed money meant for the community.
“We are constantly always looking at the bottom line, and fundraising is a huge part of what we do in order to serve the growing number of people who come to DVIS every year,” Tracey Lyall, CEO of Domestic Violence Intervention Services, said.
Monetary donations are essential for area non-profits. For DVIS, a donation means more resources for survivors.
“It’s just so important,” Lyall said. “No matter what service we are providing to a survivor of violence. It's counseling. It's shelter nights. It's showers and hot meals."
That is why when Lyall was browsing her inbox, a subject line caught her eye reading, "Donation Sent Via FedEx.”
“As I am reading the email, originally, we kind of looked up the person who sent the email to make sure it was legitimate and couldn't find anything, so we were pretty excited to just respond back and say ‘Yeah, here's our address.’”
The red flags in the email are minimal. It begins with, "I hope this message finds you well."
It goes on to state "My name is Kenn, and I am writing to you with a keen interest in supporting the vital work your organization carries out.”
“Oklahoma gets noticed a lot about our high rates of domestic violence, so all of those things just sort of confirmed that this is someone who has heard about us,” Lyall said.
The email continues “I am considering donating by check and would like to know the best address to which I can mail my contribution."
The sender states they want to send it FedEx and signs "In Warm Regards, Kenn Yeager."
“In my original email back to him I said, ‘I’m curious, how did you hear about us, how did you find out about us?’ and in his second email back he didn't answer the question,” Lyall said.
The second email claimed the check is in the mail along with a story about the senders' health challenges and undergoing chemotherapy.
“We were thinking ‘Wow, is this really going to happen?’ And then on Friday, the FedEx envelope comes, and we open it, and inside it is another envelope for me to open, and inside that envelope is a check for $95,000,” Lyall said.
The check appeared to have a legitimate bank and routing number.
“All the way to receiving the check, we were pretty much thinking, ‘This is real. This is happening,’” Lyall said.
However, with a little more research, an article out of West Virginia struck a chord, revealing several non-profits in Monongalia County were targeted in a donation refund scam.
The organizations all received an email from someone expressing interest in donating and then sending five- or six-figured checks, many written for $95,000 or more.
The name on the email, Kenn Yeager, selling the same story about chemotherapy and giving back.
Yeager then apparently contacts the organizations after sending the check and states there was a mistake, and to please wire a portion of the funds back to him immediately.
Once the wire is complete, the original check never clears the bank.
Lyall said she wants other non-profits to be on alert.
“Do your due diligence all the way through the process,” she said.
2 News did some digging on the return address on the mailer, which leads to an unoccupied home in New York City listed for sale at $30 million dollars.
If you feel you are being scammed or the victim of one, report the crime to local authorities.
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