COLUMBUS – Ohio’s attorney general says five people involved in eight sham charities whose names were stolen from reputable organizations to swindle Ohioans have been ordered to pay civil penalties and have been banned from associating with any charitable organization in the future.
The five people solicited donations, claiming to be from charities whose names were stolen from reputable organizations to lend credence to their scam, Dave Yost said.
A Franklin County Common Pleas Court judge ordered the individuals to pay a combined $190,000 in civil penalties and banned them from associating with any charitable organization in the future, Yost announced Thursday.
Yost says the five were collecting contributions using the names of the following fake charities:
American Cancer Foundation of Columbus Inc.
American Cancer Foundation of Cincinnati Inc.
American Cancer Foundation of Cleveland Inc.
American Cancer Foundation of Ohio Inc.
American Cancer Society of Cincinnati Inc.
American Cancer Society of Cleveland Inc.
American Cancer Society of Ohio Inc.
United Way of Ohio Inc.
One of the men involved in the scam, Ian Hosang, is the target of legal action in Michigan, Washington, New York and other states where Yost says he set up dozens of similar fake charities.
Before donating to a charity, Attorney General Yost encourages Ohioans to use the online tools provided by the Charitable Law Section of his office.