Detectives believe scam artists are using an old con on a new target: non-profit groups.

In late January, a man contacted the Seattle Hearing Speech and Deafness Center via email and offered to make a $30,000 donation to then organization.

A few days later, HSDC received a check for $39,850, followed by another email from the scammer, saying the additional $9,850 included in the check was a mistake, and was meant for a different charity. The suspect then pressed the center to wire the $9.850 back to him.

After the wire transfer was complete, HSDC learned the suspect’s $39,850 check was a fake. By then their wire transfer had already gone through, and the center is now out $9,850.

SPD Fraud detectives believe a few other non-profit groups may have been targeted in similar scams in Washington and Oregon, and are looking for any other groups in the Seattle area that may have been targeted by the suspect.

If you have any information about this case, or received similar suspicious offers, please contact SPD’s Fraud Unit at (206) 684-8981.