06/10/2025
URGENT SCAM MESSAGE FOR ALL ANIMAL RESCUES & CHARITIES. Please READ and look at the Pictures in Number Order 1-18.
PLEASE SHARE & TAG Your Friends in Rescues and Charities!!
SCAM Artists are taking advantage of Rescues & Charities!!
This information provided here is a MULTI-STATE SCAM. Many Rescues have LOST $2000 & MORE plus Bank Fees. Here is WHAT HAPPENED to us and HOW to PROTECT Yourself!! SEE PICTURES in NUMBER ORDER 1-18.
* April 22nd, 2025: First contact, Normal Conversation, Build Excitement about getting a large donation.
* April 23rd, 2025: Now asking for EXTRA Info (personal cell phone) all for this Donation Pledge of $2000
* April 24th, 2025: Feeling uneasy about a cell phone number to someone we DO NOT KNOW Yet, we referred to our Virtual Phone Number on our website and that we did not text.
* April 25th, 2025 through June 1st, 2025: NO COMMUNICATION !!
* June 2nd, 2025: Received email telling us a package arrived at our P.O. Box at 9:27am. We stated we were at the post office at 10:15am that day and had no package from him. Emailed back again advising us the same thing that IT WAS DELIVERED. We told him that we could not check it again until Saturday. He seemed disappointed based on emails.
* June 7th, 2025: Retrieved "Donation Check" from the Post Office, Upon Opening it, it was for $4000 which was $2000 MORE than they "Pledged". Once at the Bank and Looking at the check CLOSELY, and having Graphics Design Experience, I had a GUT feeling that the something was not right, even though there was a REAL Routing Number and REAL Account Number that went to another Rescue Organization (we learned afterwards) and NOT the persons name listed on it, based in information we got from the bank. What THIS SCAM ARTIST did not know is we banked with the SAME BANK. The Bank Tellers at our branch KNOW US and Flagged this transaction right away!!
June 9th, 2025: HERE'S The SCAM..... they want us to wire back $2000 "Over Donated" right away. Sadly, after investigating this since we learned about it, MANY RESCUES in NY, OH, MN, PA, NJ, GA have been scammed with more coming in. WHY & HOW??
* They build relationships to TRUST them as "Sincere Donors". (See email content in Pictures)
* They follow through by mailing Priority Mail Delivered Checks (See Pictures)
* The Checks to the naked eye, LOOK REAL, Have REAL organizations and addresses, just the PERSON'S NAME is Wrong). Printed on Official Check Document Paper, Have REAL (STOLEN) Routing and Account Numbers (Usually from the scammed rescue who wires them). You can even call the bank AND verify funds are in that account to cover it, and in MOST CASES the BANK will verify GOOD Check!! You can even Verify the Info printed on the check through Google!!
* They are counting on you ACTING Quickly, as in most cases they will have about 2 weeks before a bank statement hits the VICTIM / RESCUE before being exposed.
* If you have COMPASSION (most people in rescues/charities do) these scammers are RELYING on you to do the "Right Thing" and return $2000 via WIRE to their bank (over payment/Donation), to which in our case was Wells Fargo, Actually located in San Francisco, CA and NOT New Jersey like the info they provided us!! So far we have seen multiple WIRE accounts at Wells Fargo from other rescues who are contacting us, located in San Francisco, CA. The WIRING INFO is usually the RESCUES Actual Name/Address with their ASSUMED/FAKE name on top, to make you think this is ALL LEGIT !!
For Rescues & Charities: PROTECT YOURSELF FROM LOSS!! When they STEAL your money/donations you have, it prevents YOU from saving animals due to lack of funds from the SCAM...
1) STUDY these pictures to educate yourself on their writings / language.
2) While we want to NOT OFFEND actual donors, put in place a 60 to 90 DAY hold on ANY funds you deposit that YOU would deem suspicious!!
3) ANY Donor Transaction where they request your "Phone Number" to follow through the "Donation Process" via VOICE/TEXT, be EXTRA LEARY. They can Always log onto THEIR Account to see the check was deposited and cleared "IF" they are truly legitimate!!
4) NEVER email/text a receipt from the TELLER/ATM to show you did a deposit WITHOUT BLOCKING: TELLER Name or Number, TRANSACTION Number and your ACCOUNT NUMBER!! You should never really have to do this anyways, as again "IF" they are truly legitimate, they can see online their check cleared.
As for us at Catify Cafe & Adoptions, OUR LOSSES, none from the Check or Scam. We are paying for ADVERTISING this post to WARN OTHERS. For us, YES, a Big Disappointment, as since January, we have had $6200+ in Vet/Dental Surgeries, that $4000 check would have covered 2/3rds of them. We did not know it was an actual SCAM until after we got the check. When we got it we were excited!! Donations for Rescues DO NOT grow on trees and are HARD to come by currently, We have charged all our vet bills this year so far as we won't let our cats suffer with health issues, especially dental when it shows up. You can see our Facebook Posts for some of these.
If anyone would like to help with our expenses for our current 29 Cats, we are a 501c3, all volunteer non-profit and all proceeds will go directly for their care. We would greatly appreciate your support!! Thanks.
PayPal: [email protected]
Venmo:
Cash App: $catifycafe
Zelle: 3304652568
CHEWY.COM: https://www.chewy.com/.../catify-cafe-adoptions-inc... (Chewy Gift Cards help us Purchase Prescription Food we Need)
Have STOCKS to Transfer?? Contact us directly [email protected] In most cases, you pay NO Capital Gains (for stock transfers to 501c3's) AND get a Donation Receipt for the Value (the day it's transferred) when donating to a 501c3 Organization like us. ASK you Accountant.
Mail Checks TO:
Catify Café & Adoptions, Inc
P. O. Box 21
Orrville, OH 44667-0021
