Nashua Police: Scammers Target Charitable, Religious Groups

NASHUA, NH — Nashua police on Monday issued a fraud alert after receiving multiple complaints of scammers targeting businesses and other organizations over the last few months. "Phishing" scams have been most common, according to Nashua police Lieutenant Craig Allard.

"Phishing is an online attempt to pose as a legitimate business, most commonly in an email, with the purpose to get an online account holder to disclose personal financial information or provide payment for a service," Allard said in a statement. "Phishing attempts typically arrive in an unsolicited email or instant messages, which appear virtually identical to a legitimate communications from a company."

Allard said the department has received numerous complaints of scammers targeting charitable and religious organizations.

"Charitable organizations have received calls or emails from someone posing as a known member of a religious organization asking for gift cards for a person in need," Allard said. "Always be suspicious if the person calling is only asking for the card number and codes from these gift cards. If the caller or person emailing only wants to conduct the transaction (donation) electronically then it is likely fraud."

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