"Grant/Donation" Phishing Email Alert - DO NOT reply if you receive such an email

Unfortunately The Helen Foundation's name has recently been stolen by an unscrupulous email or internet scam artist who is phishing for personal information from individuals around the world, and in particular from educational institutions in the United States. According to the Charity Commission, a growing number of UK charities of all types are increasingly having their names "borrowed" by criminals in this way.

The emails in question suggest that the recipient of the email has qualified for a £980,000 donation or grant from the Foundation and then asks the recipient to send a significant amount of sensitive personal data by return email in order to claim such a grant within 7 days.

THE EMAILS IN QUESTION HAVE BEEN SENT BY A CRIMINAL MASQUERADING AS SOMEONE FROM WITHIN OUR REGISTERED UK CHARITY AND HAVE NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH THE HELEN FOUNDATION. ACCORDINGLY, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU:

DO NOT click on any links in the scam email.

DO NOT supply any personal information of any kind as a result of the email.

DO NOT reply to the email or attempt to contact the senders in any way.

DO NOT supply any information on the bogus website that may appear in your browser if you have clicked a link in the email.

DO NOT open any attachments that arrive with the email.

REPORT the phishing the relevant authorities and/or your postmaster and internet service provider (ISP).

DELETE the email from your computer as soon as possible.

If you have received such an email, please remember to notify the relevant anti-fraud authorities in your country of residence, and your postmaster or internet service provider (ISP) that you have received the bogus email in question so that we can try and put a stop to this as soon as possible. Thanks in advance for your understanding and co-operation. Many thanks also to the kind individuals who have brought this to our attention so promptly.

Rest assured that The Helen Foundation takes the mis-use and theft of its identity extremely seriously and we will be working with relevant authorities to do all we can to bring an end to the phishing campaign and/or bring the criminal in question to justice. Details of the first round of this attempted scam have already been passed to the Metropolitan Police (Anti-Fraud Section).

For information, the phishing email in question may look something like this:

"THE HALEN FOUNDATION
Manchester,UK
www.thehelenfoundation.org.uk

Dear Beneficiary,

This is to inform you that you have been chosen By the Board of trustees of the above International charity organization as one of the final recipients of a Cash Donation.

Based on the random selection exercise of internet service providers (ISP) and millions of Super market cash invoices worldwide, you were selected among the lucky recipients to receive the award sum of 980,000.00 GBP (Nine Hundred and Eighty Thousand Pounds) as charity donations/aidfrom the Association Of European Charity Foundations and the UNO in accordance with the enabling act of Parliament. Note that, your email was selected from ei ther the internet, or a Shop's cash invoice around your area in which you might have purchased something from.

Fill out below information and contact the Payment Remittance Office.

Full Name: Address:
Occupation: Country:
Telephone: Fax Number:
Sex: Age:

Your Qualification number is: (A-121-637, G-01-06)
**********************************************************
Executive Secretary,
Mr. Albert Gray Miller.
Email: halen_fdt017@live.com

Finally, all funds should be claimed by their respective beneficiaries, not later that 7 days after notification.

On behalf of the Board kindly accept our warmest congratulations

Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Emily Mcharold
(Foundation officer)"