Fake Charity Scam
Scammers create fake charities or impersonate real ones. Real charities don't pressure for immediate cash or gift card donations.
🚩 Red Flags
- ⚠High-pressure tactics
- ⚠Name similar to known charity
- ⚠Only accepts wire/crypto/gift cards
- ⚠Thanks for donation you didn't make
🛡️ Protect Yourself
- →RESEARCH at give.org, charitynavigator.org
- →DONATE direct to charity's website
- →NO cash or gift cards
- →TAKE TIME: Real charities don't expire
More Details
- “Donate to help disaster victims”
- “Police Benevolent Association calling”
- “Children are dying - please give now”
- “Your neighbor donated $100”
Common Questions
Check CharityNavigator.org, Give.org, and state registration. Search exact name — scammers use similar names.
Be cautious. Many "police" phone solicitors keep 90%. Donate directly to established organizations.
Can be legitimate or fraud. Look for campaigns shared by people you know or verified by news. When in doubt, donate to verified charities.
After disasters, scammers create fake charities with similar names. Wait, research, donate to established relief organizations.
Report This Scam
If you've encountered this scam, report it to help protect others.
Warn Someone You Know
Know someone who might fall for this? Share this warning with them.
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73% of Americans targeted(Pew, 2025)
|$470M lost to text scams in 2024(FTC)
|$16.6B total losses(FBI IC3, 2024)