Fraudulent e-mails and letters targeting charities
Plan UK advises all supporters and visitors to our site to be aware of fraudulent e-mail, letter and text 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 or asking for funds to sponsor or support a child.
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 may contain a link to the charity's website and feature the charity's logo; they may even have a 'spoofed' address and appear to be from the charity themselves.
In these scams the victim may be asked for personal information such as bank account numbers or credit card details, to sponsor/support a child by sending funds directly to a specific bank account or asked to provide financial support and housing for a child who is to visit the victim's country of residence.
Plan will never solicit or demand funds in this manner or ask you to accommodate a sponsored child. Plan cannot be held liable for any losses sustained by victims of these scams. It is recommended that you contact your local police authority.
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 0300 777 9777 or email us at online@plan-international.org.uk
Current scams in operation
We have recently become aware of a new type of scam involving the fraudulent use of Plan’s name.
Criminals claiming to be Plan staff members are sending out fraudulent emails/letters which incorporate the Plan logo to random/targeted email addresses. The correspondence requests financial support to help a sponsored child visit the recipients’ country of residence including provision of accommodation.
If you receive any message claiming to be from Plan which you suspect to be fraudulent, please forward it to the address above - we will do everything we can to ensure that any scams are stopped as quickly as possible.
| 
