GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Employees at the NEW Community Shelter say they were stunned after discovering a promised $90,000 donation from a Florida donor turned out to be a fraudulent scam. Although the check was never cashed, the disappointment lingers.
“What I thought of first was, of all people and all businesses and all organizations,” said Terri Refsguard, CEO of NEW Community Shelter. “You’re gonna choose a homeless shelter to scam money out of? That just made me mad.”
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The alleged donor had initially contacted the shelter in 2024 but lost touch for a period. He reappeared earlier this month, claiming he had sent a large donation. When the check arrived, however, some red flags began to surface.
“I thought, why didn’t you send the check to that shelter, and couldn’t find a tie why he would send a check, but I was still happy,” Refsguard added.
Fortunately, shelter staff acted quickly and uncovered the fraud before depositing the check.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Wisconsin reminds the public that scams can strike at any time and urges caution, especially when dealing with unexpected donations.
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“If you’re not expecting it, do a little more research before you go ahead and deposit it,” said Tiffany Schultz, regional director of the BBB. “Because even though it might be legitimate, it might also be illegitimate.”
With the fraud behind them, the shelter is now focusing on its next project: fundraising for a new apartment building to help graduates transition into stable housing.
