Don't be caught out by Ukraine Scammers
Fraudsters targeting charities and voluntary organisations are unfortunately nothing new. But scammers and frauds always try and use current events to their advantage. Scammers are now using the Ukraine conflict as a way to exploit people for their own financial gain.
Speaking to the BBC, fraud protection expert Charlie Shakeshaft said “As with every global crisis, we going to see a sharp increase in these scams,". In this article, we look at three of the most common scams happening right now and how to stop yourself being caught out.
DBS Scams
As a DBS Umbrella Body, DBS Scams are something we’re unfortunately very familiar with. These types of scams general involve frauds manipulating unsuspecting victims into paying large sums for non-existent DBS Checks.
Households sponsoring refugees coming to the UK from Ukraine must have a DBS Check carried out before they can host anyone. UK Government have published guidance confirming that it is local authorities and councils who are responsible for paying for and arranging the check.
Despite the guidance, it doesn’t stop scammers from trying to capitalise on the situation. If you’ve signed up to host refugees and someone starts asking you to pay for a DBS Check, it is a scam. Sponsor households are not required to pay for their own DBS Checks.
Fake Donation Scams
Within hours of the Ukraine conflict beginning, fake charity pages began popping up across the internet. These websites exist solely to try and scam well-meaning people out of donations. These websites are often posted on social media pages or may be emailed directly to people with seemingly legitimate credentials.
Scam websites may not be immediately obvious but there are a few key things to look out for:
Poor spelling and grammar
Long, convoluted web or email addresses
Unsecure websites that throw up warnings from your browser
Blurry images, logos and branding can be a sign that materials have been copied
Vague information on what happens to donations
Asking for donations using cryptocurrency, gift cards or direct bank transfers
Cyber security firm ESET has published a list of some of the fake sites that they have come across:
help-for-ukraine[.]eu
tokenukraine[.]com
supportukraine[.]today
ukrainecharity[.]gives
ukrainesolidarity[.]org
ukraine-solidarity[.]com
saveukraine[.]today
All these sites should be avoided. If you are sent a link to a site that you think isn’t genuine, make sure you spend some time doing some research before you make any kind of donation.
Sob Story Scams
This type of scam is nothing new but is easily the most sickening. Pretending to be suffering, with the aim of exploiting others, is not only evil but in this situation prevents help from going to people that truly need it.
Since the start of the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, there have been a number of reports from people who have been targeted by this type of scammer. They often contact people via Facebook groups or other social media groups for people hoping to be matched with refugees.
The scammers start off with very plausible and emotional stories but steadily escalate things before starting to ask for money. Money for flights to the UK or other transport costs are extremely common requests at the moment.
If you are contacted by someone who is asking you to transfer them cash for this, instead, offer to pay for their transport yourself. Frauds will generally become very angry by this and become abusive towards you. Legitimate refugees would have no problem having things they need, paid for by someone else.
If you want to contribute to the relief effort in Ukraine, make sure you do so safely. There are plenty of legitimate organisations out doing incredible work and accepting donations. Below is a list of just some of the organisations on the ground in Ukraine at the moment:
You can also use Charity Navigator to look for other vetted charities.