A group asking for a small donation outside a busy store may look like an ordinary high school fundraiser. Florida police say some of those appeals are coming from scammers posing as student athletes.
The Largo Police Department warned that people have been approaching shoppers with stories about raising money for school sports teams.
The supposed students may offer candy or describe a team fundraiser before asking the person to scan a QR code and make a digital donation.
Police said legitimate youth organizations frequently raise money in the community, but scammers are exploiting that familiarity and people’s willingness to support local students.
The Story Is Built Around a Familiar School Fundraiser
The reported encounters are taking place in busy shopping plazas, according to WWSB. The people involved allegedly present themselves as high school students collecting money for athletic programs.
Instead of collecting a small cash donation through an identifiable school fundraiser, the person asks the shopper to scan a QR code. A QR code can open a payment page or digital account without clearly showing the donor who controls it before the payment is made.
Completing the payment quickly can leave little opportunity to confirm whether the recipient is connected to the school named in the pitch.
Donors Can Verify the Team Before Paying
A person approached by an unfamiliar fundraiser can ask for the student’s school, team, coach, and official campaign information without scanning the code immediately.
A school office, athletic department, coach, or booster club can confirm whether the fundraiser exists and how legitimate donations are being collected. The safest verification comes from contacting the school through a telephone number or website found independently.
The FTC advises people donating online to make sure they know who is receiving the donation before clicking a link or paying through a digital platform.
A Small Donation Can Still Expose Payment Details
Donors should be cautious if the person cannot name the coach, does not know the school’s official fundraiser details, refuses cash or a school-issued receipt, pressures for an immediate digital payment, or says the only way to help is by scanning the code on the spot.
People who already made a questionable digital payment should review the transaction details, contact the payment provider or bank, and preserve screenshots before blocking the account.
Suspicious fundraising activity should be reported to the school being named, the store or plaza where the solicitation happened, the payment platform, and the local non-emergency police line.