A CHARITY IN Northern Ireland has issued a warning to community and music groups after it was nearly scammed out of money over a fake offer involving a baby grand piano.
Wave Trauma Centre, a group that offers musical therapies to victims of the Troubles, said it was first contacted about the scam in September.
The charity said a woman named “Margeret” reached out to them, claiming to be acting for a recently widowed friend who wanted to donate her late husband’s piano.
The story seemed genuine and the charity agreed to accept the gift.
However, staff became suspicious when the charity was asked to pay to have the piano delivered via a Revolut account belonging to an individual in Bulgaria.
They also discovered that the company that was supposedly storing the piano was listed as operating in the Philippines and Oman; that raised further suspicions, as they had been told that the piano was being kept in Belfast.
Further checks showed the same “widow and piano” story was circulating internationally, with different names given for the individuals at the centre of the story.
Wave said it handed over no money and has reported the attempted fraud.
“Isn’t it awful that even a charity is not exempt to scammers,” the charity warned, urging other groups not to be fooled by convincing emails or photos.
“If you are a musical group beware – it’s a scam that appears to have crossed the globe so don’t get caught, even when the pictures look amazing and you have the most perfect place for it and the most perfect plans for how it could benefit individuals’ lives.”
