No these thieves are not modern-day Robin Hoods, but they’re really just cyber-robbers. They are using this method to see if credit card is valid or not:
The verification method has become popular because the monitoring software at credit-card companies may not question donations to charities, according the Symantec blog. Santoyo said the schemers usually donate less than $10.
American Red Cross spokeswoman Carrie Martin said, “This happens all the time. We have people at the Red Cross who deal with this type of activity.”
Last month alone, the Red Cross refunded 700 fraudulent credit-card transactions, Martin said. That figure doesn’t include the transactions the charity blocked because they appeared fraudulent.