Fraudulent e-mails targeting charities

Plan UK advises all supporters and visitors to our site to be aware of fraudulent e-mail campaigns targeting charities. There is currently an increase in the number of such scams with perpetrators typically offering jobs or financial rewards in exchange for personal information. We value our supporters greatly and are doing everything we can to protect you from these types of activities.

Spoof e-mails

These email campaigns can often look reputable and will contain a link to a charities web-site; they may even have a ‘spoofed’ address and appear to be from the charity themselves. In all of these scams the victim is asked for personal information such as bank account numbers or credit card details. No reputable organisation will ever ask you to supply them with bank details via e-mail.

Online donations and payments

Like most other charities, Plan UK offers online payment facilities including sponsorship and online donations. These are made through secure pages which are subject to very tight security and monitored regularly.

Please look out for the padlock symbol which indicates that a page is secure.

General advice and contact details

If you are in any doubt at all about the authenticity of an e-mail you have received then contact the charity it claims to be from directly. If you wish to contact Plan UK to discuss any concerns you have about an e-mail you have received; or if you wish to report anything else suspicious then please get in touch immediately. You can call us on +44 (0) 207 482 9777 or e-mail us on kate.milenkovic@plan-international.org

Current scams in operation

It has been brought to our attention that one such scam is currently taking place that is targeting organisations including Plan UK.

If you have received an e-mail from a ‘Dr. Gary Smith’ or anyone else claiming to be an employee of Plan UK then please do not reply to them. The e-mail may offer you a job as an ‘Account Rep’ and promise up to $5,000 per month ‘easy money’ – it is a scam designed to obtain your bank account details and launder money.

Please forward the e-mail to the address above – we will do everything we can to ensure that any scams are stopped as quickly as possible.