CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A local non-profit group is warning donors to check their statements after someone faked a change of address form and diverted the group's mail.
Thousands of members of the working poor are homeowners thanks to Community Link. The non-profit also finds housing for the homeless.
In December a home on Dublin Street had no connection to Community Link. Police believe that someone had the group's mail diverted there.
"I strongly suspect that individual knew that we, like many non-profits, had sent out an appeal and this would be the time that people would be sending contributions," said Community Link president Floyd Davis.
Davis’ fear and that of police is someone may have the financial information of hundreds of donors, resulting in a bonanza for any identity thief.
"People who confiscated these checks have critical information—name, address, account number and routing numbers," Davis added.
While the home was vacant, the occupants who recently moved in became suspicious after getting Community Link's mail and told their mailman. What was confusing to the non-profit is that not all the mail was diverted, and officials assumed that donations were down due to the economy.
"If all the mail had stopped coming to our P.O. box say, as of December 11th, we would have known, or in a couple of days we did not receive any mail we would have been tipped off then," noted Davis.
He found out about the thief last Tuesday. By Friday, the group mailed 646 letters to potential donors warning them about the problem and asking them to check their accounts.
"So I doubt that this individual gave any thought to the impact this would have on our organization," Davis said.
The postal inspector’s office is also investigating this case. Police have no way of knowing how many victims there might be, but Davis is hoping donors are not scared off because he says they still need the money to help others.
