Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority warns of scam disguised as GoFundMe campaign – Barrie

The Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority is warning area residents about a scam that’s using the organization’s name, slogan and logo.

According to the authority, the scam is disguised as a GoFundMe campaign, with a photo of a boy in a hospital. The photo is accompanied by text that describes the boy’s “serious illness,” saying that a large sum of money is required to help with his recovery.

When clicking on the link to donate, the local conservation authority says, a PayPal payment platform appears.

“We are asking members of the public to not click, respond or donate when seeing this email,” Sheryl Flannagan, the local conservation authority’s corporate services director, said in a statement.

“Our staff are working hard to rectify the situation and to find the source of the scam.”

Flannagan said the conservation authority’s data is secure and that the issue is a matter of misusing the organization’s name, slogan and logo.

“We invite anyone who has questions or concerns to contact us,” Flannagan said in the statement.