ATLANTA — The Georgia secretary of state's office and the Department of Banking and Finance are taking action to protect Georgia charities from an elaborate scam.
Consumer investigator Jim Strickland broke news Monday that local charities are receiving large, but counterfeit, donation checks from a mysterious benefactor. The donor then requests part of the money back, which would be actual funds paid out by the charities.
Friday, the secretary of state emailed nearly 3,000 registered nonprofits about the scam. The Department of Banking and Finance is expected to alert financial institutions not to cash the checks.
The number of Georgia charities reporting the scam is up to seven. The Georgia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the Boy Scouts are among those targeted.
"Their name is written on the gates of hell," said charity founder Keith Laseter of the scammers. His nonprofit, Bridging the Gap, runs a shelter for war veterans with PTSD. He cashed a bogus check and actually spent some of the money. His account is now frozen and overdrawn. He was alerted to the trouble before losing money to the scammers.
"We emailed every nonprofit that we have in our system," said Ryan Germany, charity director for the secretary of state.
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