We’ve been experiencing the same issue. What these people are doing is testing stolen credit cards with the small dollar amounts. Then, when those test out, they may try to issue an e-check for a much larger amount. Wait a few days, however, and you’ll find they cancel the transaction. Again, the point is to test to see how much money is on the stolen card. There is an option in profile settings in your account where you can select the option to deny all e-check donations or payments. That’s what we did and, for awhile, these fraudulent donations stopped. We also refunded all the small donations as soon as they came in. We’re US based and most donations were US currency with only a tiny fraction of them in Euros. Anyway, after a hiatus of about a month, they started up again. And then we got some random large donations[Removed. Phone #s not permitted] etc. They came through as a regular money transfer transaction and not as an e-check. I actually recognized a few of the names who had sent in $1+ donations two months prior when they’d been testing the cards initially. The person who sent in the donation for $997.34 actually wrote us at our email address and commended us on our work and that they want to support us but ran into a difficult situation and need $800 of the amount they donated sent back to them but that we could keep $197.34. Surprise, surprise! Like I didn’t see that one coming. I refunded all of it with a note that I was aware this was a scam and we don’t want any of their stolen money. Basically, they’re using stolen credit cards and then claim they made the donation in error or sent more than they meant to and request it be sent back. The money - originally sent from a stolen credit card - when sent back goes into their PayPal account, not back on the card. And voila! Instant cash for them to collect and use. They’re using charities to help them with their theft of other people’s money. I have called PayPal to report the suspicious activity but there’s really nothing they can or will do other than advise you refund the money. I don’t have time for these stupid scammy games but I do hate being party to these thieves and what amounts to robbery of innocent people. Yet there’s really nothing that can be done to stop this. You’re basically forced to collude. It sucks.
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