Ecqus, an organization dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of animals, has recently brought to light a troubling attempt to defraud its supporters. The group reported that unknown individuals are trying to trick their partners into sharing credit card details. This malicious scheme poses a real threat to the trust between non-profits and the people who back them.
Andrea Silva Ibáñez, a leader at Ecqus, explained how the scammers operate. “They are calling our partners, acting as if they are us,” she said. “The callers tell people to change their payment method. For instance, if someone pays us using one card, they are asked to switch to a different card that doesn’t belong to our organization.” She added that some calls even targeted those paying through Antel, urging them to switch to a different card.
The purpose of this public statement is to warn both Ecqus’s own members and other non-profit groups. Anyone could fall victim to similar tricks. Silva Ibáñez described the perpetrators as a “criminal organization.” She reflected on the injustice of it all, saying, “They are making victims of the very people who work hardest without seeking profit, like NGOs.”
In just two days, Ecqus received calls from about ten people reporting these suspicious requests. This quick influx of warnings shows how active the fraudsters are. “It’s a very alarming situation,” Silva Ibáñez noted, highlighting the urgent need for vigilance.