According to Director Cindy Greer, Owens House recently received a report that someone used their name and asked for check donations to be written to an individual instead of the organization.

“The report that we got said an individual would exchange services for a donation. If they are asking for a donation to our agency and asking them to make the check out to an individual, that’s a scam.” Greer said. “It’s not uncommon for this to happen to companies around this time of year.”

In accordance with IRS guidelines, Owens house only accepts check donations written to their organization’s name. They also do not offer services or goods in exchange for donations.

“We wanted constituents to know that we would never receive checks written out to individuals.” Greer said.

Greer urged anyone who might have been scammed to contact law enforcement and to contact Owens house about any questions or concerns.

“If they feel like they’re being scammed or frauded, that’s a law enforcement issue,” Greer said. “They can certainly call us to verify if it really is us.”

Owens House is an affiliate of the Shelby County Children’s Advocacy Center. They are a nonprofit organization that helps children and families affected by child sexual abuse. They depend on donations from individuals and corporate sponsors.

To learn more about Owens House, visit Owenshousecac.org. Anyone who believes they have been the victim of fraud can contact the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office by calling 669-4181 or sending an email to kbrand@shelbyso.com or dsumrall@shelbyso.com.