EVANGELINE PARISH — Matthew Baker, the owner of Heroes Everywhere animal rescue, thought he had received a Christmas miracle when a check for nearly $4,000 arrived from an organization called the Whiteside Family Foundation. But it quickly turned into a holiday nightmare.
Baker relies on donations to keep his rescue running, making the check seem like a much-needed boost. However, when he got a follow-up message asking for half of the money back, he became suspicious.
“He told me it was an accident,” Baker explains. “$1,951 wasn’t supposed to be sent, and immediately, red flags went off.”
Baker then received confirmation from his bank that the check was fraudulent. The checks, it turns out, had been stolen from Vans Sporting Goods, the company listed on the check.
In a statement to KATC, Van’s Sporting Goods confirmed the theft:
“Our checks were stolen through the mail system after we sent them out in a group to pay company bills. We are victims like everybody else in this situation and have contacted local authorities to investigate.”
As a result of the scam, Heroes Everywhere Animal Rescue’s bank account is now overdrawn by $2,500. But Baker says his organization isn’t the only one affected. About 17 other animal rescues across the country are also victims of this scam and have lost thousands of dollars.
Baker says the impact on animal rescues is devastating.
“If you’re going to hit an animal rescue, that’s pretty sad,” he says. “At the worst, these rescues may have to shut down. A $4,000 loss is a big hit for these organizations.”
KATC did reach out to the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's office on the matter but the Sheriff was unavailable.
