The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) said they have been notified of a scam email offering donations to registered charities in Australia.
The scam email, from an organisation called “International Strategic of the EU” has falsely claimed to be in consultation with the ACNC to raise funds as a donation for charities.
The email asks charities to provide detailed contact information in order to allow for a payment to be made.
The ACNC has recommended charities that receive this email to not provide any information, and they should delete it immediately.
The ACNC has also advised charities to be wary of any unusual emails, phone calls or letters. They recommend that charities check for warning signs in emails, including references to organisations that you cannot find online, contain poor grammar and spelling, are poorly presented, or offer donations in exchange for information.
“On 10 May, the ACNC was alerted to a scam email offering donations to registered charities in Australia. The scam email, from an organisation called ‘International Strategic of the EU’, falsely claimed to be in consultation with the ACNC to raise funds as a donation for charities,” said an ACNC spokesperson.
“Charities can be victims of scams in the same way as individuals and other parts of society, and the impact can be devastating.”