Charity scams: fake fundraising after disasters and at the holidays
A fundraiser after a disaster or at the holidays, pressing you to give fast, by gift card, crypto or wire.
Could you spot it?
3 quick examples. Decide scam or legit for each.
How it works
Scammers set up charities with names that sound like real ones, and appear right after disasters and at year-end. They call, text and post with emotional stories and ask you to give right now. Some thank you for a donation you never made, to get you to pay a “pledge”.
Real charities welcome questions and will happily take a donation next week.
Red flags
- Pressure to donate immediately.
- A request to pay by gift card, crypto, wire or cash.
- Thanks for a pledge you don't remember making.
- A name that's very close to a well-known charity's.
What it looks like
A hurricane hit the Gulf Coast two days ago. It's all over the news.
The tells:
- A vague name you can't look up.
- Pressure to give right now.
- A payment-app handle or crypto instead of a charity's website.
A training example written for this site. Names, numbers and links are made up, and links are disabled.
What to do
- Research the charity before you give, and donate through its own website.
- Pay by credit card or check, and keep a record.
If you already paid or shared information
- Contact the company you used to pay (your bank, card company, gift card company, payment app or wire service) right away and ask them to reverse the payment.
- If you shared a password, change it now and turn on two-factor authentication.
- If you gave out your Social Security number or other ID details, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For scams that happened online, you can also report to the FBI at ic3.gov.
From FTC: What to do if you were scammed.
Latest alerts about this scam
- FTC ·When donating, support those in need, not a scammer
It seems like every day, a major weather emergency or natural disaster happens somewhere in the world. Before you donate to help people affected by disasters, make sure your money goes to a real charity.
Sources
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