Wise Giving Wednesday: Charity Fraud Alert - Watch Out for Fake-Check Donation Scams

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calendar icon Jul 23, 2025

A $95,000 “gift” to an animal charity in British Columbia nearly turned into a costly fake-check scam.  


How a $95K Fake-Check Scam Unfolded in British Columbia

According to a news story appearing in the Richmond News in British Columbia, Canada, an animal welfare charity was recently targeted by a fraud scheme and wants to get the word out to help prevent other nonprofits from being victimized. The charity was contacted by an individual via email claiming to want to make a $95,000 gift as instructed by their late partner for the purpose of taking care of the decedent’s dog. The charity then received a letter, supposedly from a law firm, which included a check, supposedly from the Ontario Ministry of Finance.

Once the organization deposited the check and began using the funds for renovation of their cat sanctuary, the “lawyer” contacted the charity claiming that there had been a mistake and asked for a $70,000 refund. Fortunately, before they “refunded” any funds, their bank notified the organization that the check was fraudulent and contacted the police and the Canadian Ministry of Finance. 

While this charity didn’t lose any money to the fraudsters, the bad news is they had already started using the phony “windfall” funds on their cat sanctuary improvements, with no way to recoup the money. 

Reporting a Fake-Donation Scam

Fraud schemes similar to this fake-check overpayment scam have taken place in the U.S. For example, a charity is informed a wealthy individual will be making a sizable gift and sending it overnight mail. Then, the alleged donor asks the charity to return a significant portion of the donation due to a medical emergency. The fake check scenario can have devastating consequences, especially for small nonprofits that may be struggling to keep the lights on.

If a charity experiences such a scam, BBB Wise Giving Alliance recommends that the organization contacts the office of the attorney general in their state (in Canada, see the fraud page on Canada Revenue Agency). It could also post a notice to BBB Scam Tracker to help alert others about the suspected scam.

Recent Reports

We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org or local BBBs to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:

Finally, remember to let us know by going to give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.