NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Some 30 to 40 times. That’s how often Nashvillians say they were taken advantage of after believing they were donating to a good cause — only to lose thousands of dollars.
Metro Nashville Police Department is now warning the public about a growing scam targeting shoppers across the city. Police said groups of young people are approaching victims in parking lots and other public places with the intent to steal money. Police believe it will happen again.
“We’re seeing it all across Davidson County and other states,” said Lt. Chad Young of the MNPD Fraud Unit.
Investigators said the scam often starts with what appears to be a harmless request — a donation for a school sports team fundraiser. But police said the groups do not accept cash. Instead, victims are encouraged to pay using mobile banking apps, debit cards, or credit cards.
“They’ll have a block where they can slide their debit or credit card, tap-to-pay functions, and also use Apple Pay to receive these funds,” Lt. Young said.
According to police, victims often believe they are donating just a few dollars, only to later discover large, unauthorized withdrawals from their accounts.
“People aren’t even looking at what they’re paying. They’re just handing the credit card over or tapping their phone,” Young said. “Several hours or days later, they realize what they thought was a $3 to $5 donation is showing up as a thousand dollars.”
Police said dozens of incidents have been reported so far. In some cases, investigators said suspects have even taken to social media to show off the stolen money.
“Flashing large sums of money — we’re seeing that as well and using it to help build our cases,” Lt. Young said.
While scams are nothing new, police said advancing technology is making them easier to carry out and harder for victims to immediately detect.
Shopper Curtis Fitzpatrick said awareness and caution are key.
“We don’t even return texts from numbers we don’t know,” Fitzpatrick said. “We feel like that’s one way we can stay free of all the scams that are out there these days.”
Police said at least one arrest has been made in connection with the investigation.
Nineteen-year-old Dewaine Gordon was arrested Tuesday after an ongoing Fraud Unit investigation into multiple banking scams. Police said Gordon is suspected of being involved in several cases and was taken into custody by Violent Crimes Division detectives in East Nashville on outstanding warrants related to two recent incidents. He is currently out on a $10,000 bond.
According to investigators, Gordon was identified through surveillance footage after a man’s wallet was stolen in September and his credit card was used three times at two different Opry Mills stores.
Additional warrants were obtained after Gordon was also identified as one of six men who approached a victim at an East Nashville bar on Dec. 2. Police said the group asked the man to follow them on Instagram. When the victim handed over his phone, investigators say the suspects manipulated it for several minutes. After the phone was returned, the victim later noticed $750 missing from his bank account.
Police said Gordon is believed to be associated with a group that frequently sells candy bars as a disguise to steal money from victims through mobile banking apps. Investigators said multiple boxes of candy were found inside Gordon’s vehicle at the time of his arrest.
Gordon is charged with four counts of credit card fraud, theft of property, and identity theft.
Police urge anyone who encounters groups soliciting donations in high-traffic shopping areas not to engage and not to provide payments through banking apps, debit cards, or credit cards.
Lt. Young said never hand your phone or card to a stranger, only donate cash, and if cash is not accepted and walk away.
Anyone approached by these individuals is asked to contact police at 615-862-8600.
This story was reported on air by journalist Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Aaron and our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy
I always say storytelling is a team sport, and a key part of the NewsChannel 5 team is our photojournalists. They are nationally recognized for their talents, more importantly, they are also great people. Enjoy this peek behind the lens, get to know them, and see some of their most notable work of 2025!
- Carrie Sharp
