Key takeaways

Do not donate through a link, a phone number, or a crowdfunding page that the message itself gave you. Look up the charity in a register you trust, and give through its official site or a verified crowdfunding page.

  • Pressure to donate immediately after a disaster is a reason to check, not a reason to give now.
  • Gift cards, cryptocurrency, and wire transfers are not normal ways to donate. A demand for them is a stop sign.
  • A logo, a display name, and a familiar charity name can all be copied. Read the real web address.
  • If you already donated, contact your bank immediately and report the appeal to the platform and to your local fraud channel.

If the appeal names a company or a website, check whether it has a risk report in the scam directory.

Check the charity and the appeal

A charity appeal can be genuine and still deserve the same checks as a suspicious one. Scammers copy real charity names, real logos, and the tone of an urgent appeal. The check is whether the organisation, contacted through details you found yourself, confirms the appeal.

Start with the name. Look the organisation up in an official register, then use an independent evaluator for context. Charity Navigator and Give.org are rating services rather than registers, so they complement the official records instead of replacing them. Compare the name and the web address in the message with the entry. Then visit the charity's official site by typing the address yourself, or use the link from the register. Look closely at email domains and web addresses. Small spelling differences are easy to miss.

Nine warning signs

Use this list before you donate, whether the request comes by message, phone, or crowdfunding page. The signs below are the practical checks, in the order most people meet them.

  1. Pressure to donate immediately after a disaster or news event. A request that arrives right after a flood, a fire, or a conflict, and that says you must give now, is a reason to check carefully. The FTC advises that you should not let anyone rush you into a donation, and real charities welcome gifts at any time. Scammers use a recent event to hurry you past the checks.
  2. A charity you cannot confirm through an independent register. Do not rely on the name, the logo, or the website in the message. Look the organisation up in an official register or an independent evaluator. In the United States that means your state charity regulator (find yours at nasconet.org), the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, and ratings from Give.org (BBB Wise Giving Alliance), Charity Navigator, or CharityWatch. In England and Wales use the Charity Commission register, and in Australia the ACNC Charity Register.
  3. A request for an unusual payment method. The FTC advises against paying by cash, gift card, or wire transfer, and warns about cryptocurrency requests. Pay by credit card or cheque where you can, and keep a record of every donation. Review your statements afterwards to make sure you were charged only what you agreed and were not signed up for recurring gifts.
  4. A caller or a message that thanks you for a pledge you did not make. The FTC describes scammers who thank you for a donation you never made, hoping you will pay to fix the supposed mistake. If you do not remember pledging, you owe nothing. Check the charity through a route you find yourself before you give anything.
  5. A crowdfunding page with no clear beneficiary or organiser. Before you click a donation link, confirm who will actually receive the money. Read who set the page up and how the funds will be used. A page with no named organiser, no clear beneficiary, or a story that is copied from another appeal is a reason to check. Read the platform’s own help pages to see what it does and does not verify.
  6. An email or web address that is slightly off. Scammers often pick names that sound like a real charity. Read the domain carefully, because extra words and swapped letters are easy to miss. Compare the address in the message with the one published on the charity’s official site or in its register entry.
  7. A story or an image that is copied from another appeal. Search the exact text and the photos online, along with the charity name and words such as “scam” or “complaint”. Stories and images are often lifted from real appeals or news reports. A match is a reason to verify with the charity, not proof either way. Do not donate through a link in the copied message.
  8. A door-to-door or street collector without identification. In England and Wales, genuine collection materials should show the charity’s name and registered number, collectors should carry an ID badge, and collection tins should be sealed. Elsewhere, ask for the same details. You do not have to give on the spot. Take the details, check the charity, and donate later through its official site.
  9. Vague appeals, false tax claims, or a prize for giving. Be wary of sentimental appeals that never explain how your money will be used. The FTC also warns that bogus groups may claim a gift is tax deductible when it is not, so check the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Anyone who guarantees sweepstakes winnings in return for a donation is running a scam.

How charity scams usually run

Be wary if the appeal arrives right after a disaster, pressures you to give now, thanks you for a pledge you did not make, or asks you to donate by gift card, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer. Caller ID can be spoofed to look like a local number, so a familiar area code proves nothing. A polished website or a familiar logo is not proof on its own.

A crowdfunding appeal needs its own check. Read who set it up, who will receive the money, and what the platform says it checks. A page with no named organiser, or a story that is copied from another appeal, is a reason to check before you give. If the appeal arrived as a message or an email, use the checks in how to spot a phishing message before you tap any link it contains.

Protect your money and your card

Do not donate through a link, a phone number, or a crowdfunding page that the message itself gave you. Give through the charity official site, or through a crowdfunding page you found on the platform yourself. Do not pay by gift card, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer because a caller tells you to. Those payments are difficult to reverse. A credit card or cheque leaves a record, which also helps if you want to claim the donation on your taxes.

If a door-to-door or street collector asks for a donation, take the charity name and the registered number, then check them. You can donate later through a route you find yourself. You do not have to give on the spot. If the request names a person in need, look for the same appeal on the charity's own site before you give.

If you already donated or shared card details

Contact your bank or payment provider promptly if money was sent, using a number from your card or from the provider's own app or website. Tell them what you gave and when. If you shared a card number, ask the bank to watch the card or issue a replacement. Report the appeal to the platform where you saw it and to your local consumer-protection or fraud channel.

Reporting channels by country:

Be cautious of anyone who contacts you afterwards and offers to recover the donation for a fee. That can be a second scam. The guide on fund recovery scams explains how that second scam works.

More help from official sources

Scambaba is an independent educational project and is not affiliated with these organizations. Reporting and recovery options depend on where you live. How these guides are researched is on the editorial policy.

Frequently asked questions

How can I check if a charity is real?

Look the organisation up in an official register or independent evaluator: your state charity regulator and the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search in the United States, the Charity Commission register in England and Wales, or the ACNC Charity Register in Australia. Rating sites such as Give.org and Charity Navigator add context. Compare the name and web address with the entry, not with the message.

Is it safe to donate after a disaster or a news event?

It can be safe if you verify the charity first. Scammers often use a recent event to rush you. Take the time to confirm the organisation through a route you find yourself. Real charities welcome donations at any time, so pressure to give now is a reason to check.

Are gift cards or cryptocurrency a normal way to donate?

No. The FTC advises against paying a charity by cash, gift card, or wire transfer, and warns about requests for cryptocurrency, because those payments are hard to reverse. Pay by credit card or cheque where you can and keep a record of the donation.

I already donated. What should I do?

Contact your bank or payment provider immediately on its official number and explain what happened. Save the message, the receipt, and any page or link you used. Report the appeal to the platform where you saw it, to your national fraud channel (in the United States, ReportFraud.ftc.gov and your state charity regulator), and to local police. If you gave a card number, ask your bank to watch or replace the card.

Can a scammer use a real charity name?

Yes. Scammers copy the logos of well-known charities and pick names that sound like real ones. The useful checks are the underlying web address, what the message asks you to do, and whether the charity confirms the appeal when you contact it using details from its official site or register entry.