BBB Warns: Bogus Donation Scam Targeting Local Nonprofits

Better Business Bureau serving Metro Atlanta, Athens & Northeast Georgia is issuing an alert to charity organizations about a scam artist alleging to be a philanthropist in London, England.

If you receive an email from a Ken McFarlane or Kenneth McFarlane offering to give you a donation, be alert!

Mr. McFarlane wants to donate to your charity using the “fake check” scam. Using the email address of ken@mcfarlanelatterarchitects.com, and the address of McFarland Latter Associates, 3 Clifford Street, London, W1s 2LF, he seeks out charitable organizations nationwide and expresses a desire to donate to their “campaign.” He even asks how his donation will be used to ensure it will be put to “good use. He initially sends charities emails expressing interest, then sends a 5-figure donation, via overnight mail.

Sounds great, right? Wrong! Mr. McFarlane will send a check but it will be for more than the amount agreed upon. He then asks that the overpayment be sent back telling the charity to keep the original donation amount. In one instance, Mr. McFarlane contacted an Atlanta based charity and offered to send a $30,000 donation but sent a $40,000 check instead. The charity was then contacted stating a “mistake” had been made and for them to keep the $30,000 donation but please return the $10,000 overpayment.

Had these charities followed through with the request, they would have lost a significant amount of money. Charities have reported complications from the scam, including bank fees associated with depositing the fraudulent check. BBB urges any charity that receives these emails not to respond or engage in any way.

This is really an old twist on an old scam. We’ve seen this same kind of scam for years, just not lately. The name & contact info in emails received by local charities mirrors an architectural firm in the UK. The scam artists have copied the UK firm’s website in an attempt to legitimize themselves.

BBB urges charities to use extreme caution if they are contacted in any way by “Ken McFarlane” or other unknown parties. If you receive this check, do not deposit it. Even more, it’s extremely unlikely that a huge donation will appear out of thin air.

For more information on fake check scams, please visit bbb.org/atlanta.