Disaster relief charity scam

Disasters generate enormous public sympathy. Scammers register domains and crowdfund campaigns within hours of major events — hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, mass shootings — to capture donations that should be going to legitimate relief.

Fake disaster charities use names that sound official ("National Hurricane Relief Foundation"), professional-looking sites with photos of damage, and urgent calls to act. Some impersonate established charities (Red Cross, World Central Kitchen). Some pivot existing scam infrastructure into the disaster theme within hours.

The FTC and state attorneys general routinely warn about these in the immediate aftermath of disasters.

• The charity name includes "official" or "national" but you've never heard of it before.
• Website registered within days of the disaster.
• Social-media ads pushing donations within 24 hours of the event.
• Photos on the site are stock or stolen news photos.
• Payment via crypto, gift cards, or wire.
• No EIN listed; no presence in established charity databases.
• High-pressure SMS or email mentioning "every minute counts."
• Door-to-door fundraisers in unaffected areas claiming to collect for the disaster.

1. Donate to established disaster-relief organizations: American Red Cross, Salvation Army, World Central Kitchen, Direct Relief, Team Rubicon, local community foundations near the disaster.
2. Verify any new charity at Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, or BBB Wise Giving Alliance before donating.
3. Check the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for a real EIN.
4. Local journalism is your friend — established local news outlets usually publish lists of vetted relief funds.
5. Be skeptical of urgency. Real relief organizations don't operate on minute-by-minute pressure.

• Dispute the charge with your credit-card issuer if you suspect fraud.
• Report to your state attorney general's charities bureau.
• Report to the FTC and BBB.
• Save all transaction details and the site URL.

• Do not donate to a charity that contacted you first by phone, email, or SMS in the wake of a disaster.
• Do not use cryptocurrency for emotional disaster donations.
• Do not assume a professional-looking site is a real charity.
• Do not post your credit-card details on Facebook fundraisers without verifying the organizer.

• FTC: reportfraud.ftc.gov — the broadest US fraud intake; reports flow to thousands of law-enforcement agencies.
• FBI IC3: ic3.gov — the right destination when the scam is internet-enabled (phishing, BEC, romance, crypto).
• CFPB: consumerfinance.gov/complaint — for complaints about banks, money transmitters, payment apps, credit cards, debt collection.
• IdentityTheft.gov — if any identity information (SSN, driver's license, account credentials) was shared.
• Your bank or payment platform. Call the number on the back of your card or use the app's in-product help. Time matters — wires can sometimes be recalled within hours; ACH and Zelle are harder but worth trying.