The scheme seemed like nothing more than a door-to-door salesman that receives commission. He told me the donation was tax-deductible so I agreed to give $20 and he agreed to contribute $5 in cash in order to qualify for a particular subscription level. He gave me a receipt of the transaction.

That same day I checked out UDMG online and found a long list of scam reports. Although irritated, I figured I had done a good deed by helping this one young man stay off the streets. (Besides, canceling the check would incur a $39 fee!) When the check was cashed, I noticed it had been altered for $25! He scribbled 'five' on the line, forged my initials and wrote 5 in the box. Now, I'm angry and disappointed that a good deed can't go unpunished. My bank was willing to reverse the $5 unauthorized charge without a fuss, but a fraud claim would have been a big ordeal. (I'll let the $20 go to pay for my naivete).

Lesson: If you want to do something nice, do it with cash.