Scam Alert: Parking Lot Donation Scams Targeting Georgia Shoppers

Groups posing as charitable fundraisers are approaching shoppers in parking lots across Georgia and other states and asking for quick donations for things like a sick child, funeral costs, disaster relief, veteran support or youth programs. These are not harmless kids with a jar. Investigators and consumer protection officials say many of these encounters are scripted fraud operations that pressure people into paying on the spot, then drain hundreds or thousands of dollars using phones, QR codes or portable card readers. Police describe victims being hit with unauthorized withdrawals that reached tens of thousands of dollars after a so called donation.

How the Parking Lot Payment Scam Works

A common version begins with two or three people approaching someone in a parking lot, often as that person is loading groceries or unlocking a car. The scammers say they are collecting donations for a funeral or medical emergency and claim even five dollars will help. The emotional pitch is fast and urgent. Then they ask to handle the person’s phone so they can enter the donation in a payment app or ask for a credit or debit card for a quick swipe or tap. Once they have physical control they enter whatever amount they want, not what they told the victim. Afterward victims discover charges of four thousand dollars, five thousand dollars, even fifty thousand dollars run through peer to peer payments or mobile card terminals. Police say suspects using this method specifically target women in retail parking lots and refuse to back off easily, turning a charity request into intimidation.

Fake Youth Team or Community Program Collections

Georgia stores and mall lots have seen repeated cases of teens and young adults holding clipboards, wearing jerseys, or displaying printed flyers claiming to raise money for a youth basketball team or a community trip. The story is local, emotional and harmless sounding. Police in Dunwoody charged teens and even a twelve year old in one case after learning that there was no real team and the money was going straight into their pockets. Investigators said scammers like this position themselves at high traffic retail spots during peak hours because shoppers are moving fast and less likely to question the story. Georgia law enforcement has called this behavior charity fraud, not fundraising.

Large Scale Charity Schemes Aimed at Georgia Donors

Some scams operate on a larger scale and use the language of serious medical causes. In October 2025, the Georgia Attorney General and federal regulators announced action against a breast cancer fundraising operation that told people their money would fund screenings. Investigators say that group raised more than forty five million dollars nationwide but less than one percent of that money reached actual screening services. Georgia was listed among the states whose residents were heavily targeted. State officials said this kind of operation exploits generosity in Georgia and diverts money away from legitimate cancer support. That same playbook shows up in shopping center parking lots, with scammers borrowing trusted causes like cancer, injured officers, fallen firefighters or recent storm victims to make refusal feel heartless and to push an instant donation with no verification.

QR Code and Tap to Pay Variations

Not every scammer bothers with conversation. One tactic already documented in metro Atlanta uses fake QR code stickers in parking garages and pay lots. The scammer prints a code, covers the real pay to park code with the fake sticker, and waits. Drivers scan it thinking they are paying for parking, but the code routes them to a phishing page that captures card details or sends the money directly to the scammer. The Better Business Bureau reports multiple cases of fake QR stickers found on pay signs in Atlanta garages. A related move in donation scams is a sign or clipboard with Scan to Donate and a QR code that leads to a fake checkout style page. Once you enter your card information they now have your payment credentials for later use.

There is also a tap to pay version. The scammer holds out a handheld reader or a phone and says you can just tap your card or phone wallet for a small donation. What the victim cannot see is the amount the scammer entered. Victims later found they did not authorize five dollars, they authorized thousands. Some reports describe total losses in the tens of thousands of dollars across multiple transactions that were run in seconds.

How to Tell a Real Fundraiser From a Scam in a Parking Lot

Ask for the exact legal name and the Employer Identification Number of the organization. Real nonprofits can state their legal name and EIN immediately because that is how they file their tax paperwork. Scammers tend to give a dramatic cause name that sounds good but is not actually a registered entity.

Ask if the organization or the individual asking for money is registered to solicit charitable donations in Georgia. Under Georgia law most charities and anyone paid to raise money for them must register with the Georgia Secretary of State Charities Division before asking the public for donations, unless they fall under a narrow exemption such as certain religious groups. Paid solicitors are also required to file their campaigns, disclose how they will be paid and renew their registration. If the person cannot answer how they are registered in Georgia, or gets defensive when you ask, you should assume the solicitation is not legitimate.

Ask how the money will be used and what percentage actually reaches the stated purpose. Legitimate charities have to keep records and can explain how much supports the cause and how much covers overhead. In the breast cancer fundraising case described earlier, investigators said less than one percent of more than forty five million dollars collected was spent on actual screenings, and called that deceptive to donors. That is the kind of answer you are trying to avoid funding.

Pay attention to pressure. Georgia consumer officials warn that a demand for immediate payment, emotional guilt tactics and refusal to let you verify the group are all red flags. Real charities will let you donate later through an official site you control. Scammers tell you that waiting even a few minutes will cause harm, because urgency keeps you from checking them.

Look at behavior, not appearance. Scammers use safety vests, clipboards, printed badges and charity style signs because those are cheap to fake. What they cannot fake is transparency. If someone in a vest refuses to answer basic questions, refuses to give written information, and tries to grab your phone or card, that is not a charity.

Inspect any QR code before scanning. In Atlanta, scammers have physically placed fake QR stickers over real payment codes in lots and garages. If the code looks like a sticker sitting on top of another code, or looks freshly pasted, do not scan it. Use the official kiosk, the known app, or pay inside.

How to Protect Yourself

Do not hand your phone or your card to any stranger. Police say that once scammers get physical control of your device or card, they can move very large amounts of money instantly through mobile payment tools or handheld card readers. Victims have reported unauthorized withdrawals of thousands and even tens of thousands of dollars after letting someone hold a phone for what was supposed to be a five dollar donation.

Do not tap, swipe or scan unless you can see and confirm the exact dollar amount and the exact payee on a legitimate terminal that you control. Never approve a payment where you cannot read the amount on screen yourself. Consumer protection groups in Georgia and the Better Business Bureau both warn that fake QR codes and preloaded tap to pay amounts are being used to siphon money and harvest card information in parking areas.

If someone claims to represent a charity, say you will donate later through the official website after you verify the group with the Georgia Secretary of State Charities Division. The Charities Division keeps registration information for charitable organizations, paid solicitors and solicitor agents operating in Georgia. The Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division and the Secretary of State both advise donors to verify before giving, especially after disasters and high profile tragedies, because scam activity spikes during those times.

If you already paid and suspect fraud, contact your bank or card issuer immediately, report the transaction as unauthorized and ask to freeze or replace the card. Then report the incident to local law enforcement, to the Georgia Secretary of State Charities Division and to the Georgia Attorney General Consumer Protection Division. Georgia officials specifically ask residents to report suspicious charitable solicitations so they can investigate and if needed shut down the operation.

Bottom Line

These scams are built to take advantage of people who are trying to be decent in a moment that feels urgent. The safest move is to refuse on the spot, keep control of your payment methods, verify any organization directly with state records and then donate only through a confirmed official channel. That protects your money and makes sure your help actually reaches a real cause instead of paying somebody’s fast cash operation in a strip mall parking lot.

Sourcing

1. Boston 25 News. “Boston police warn public about charity scams targeting women in parking lots.” October 17, 2025. Includes details of suspects approaching women in parking lots, claiming to collect for a deceased child, then running unauthorized charges of four thousand to fifty thousand dollars after getting access to phones or cards. https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/boston-police-warn-public-about-charity-scams-targeting-women-parking-lots/SU5SPPFYZVDLBH3JCR3UZ6X2OU/

2. Office of the Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “Carr Shuts Down Deceptive Cancer Charity Fundraising Scheme.” October 3, 2025. Describes action with federal regulators against a breast cancer fundraising operation accused of raising more than forty five million dollars while less than one percent went to actual screenings, and warns Georgia residents about deceptive charity appeals. https://law.georgia.gov/press-releases/2025-10-03/carr-shuts-down-deceptive-cancer-charity-fundraising-scheme

3. Office of the Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “Consumer Alert: Carr Warns of Scams and Fraud with Recovery Efforts Underway Following Hurricane Helene.” September 27, 2024. Warns Georgians that charity scams often surge after disasters and urges donors to verify before giving. https://law.georgia.gov/press-releases/2024-09-27/consumer-alert-carr-warns-scams-and-fraud-recovery-efforts-underway

4. Georgia Secretary of State. Charitable Solicitations Act and Charities Division guidance. Explains that most charitable organizations and paid solicitors asking the public for money in Georgia must register with the Secretary of State and that the Charities Division enforces these rules. https://sos.ga.gov/page/charitable-solicitations-act-and-rules and related guidance on charitable organizations, paid solicitors and solicitor agents.

5. FOX 5 Atlanta and Better Business Bureau. “BBB warns of fake QR codes: Metro Atlanta residents report finding in parking garages.” July 12, 2023. Documents fake QR code stickers placed over real pay to park codes in Atlanta area garages to steal card info and payments. https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/bbb-warns-of-fake-qr-codes-metro-atlanta-residents-report-finding-in-parking-garages

6. TheGrio. “Two teens, 12-year-old charged for raising money for fake basketball team.” January 6, 2015. Describes Dunwoody, Georgia case in which teens and a twelve year old collected money in parking lots for a fake basketball team. https://thegrio.com/2015/01/06/teens-charity-fraud-basketball/

Prepared for community awareness by E-Safe, www.e-safe.us, Where Community Comes First.