Fake charity / donation scam

Fake-charity scams operate at the seams of real giving. Some impersonate established charities with near-identical names (e.g., "Cancer Research Foundation USA" vs. real "American Cancer Society"). Others invent causes — wounded veterans, sick children, animal rescues — using stock photos and fabricated stories.

GoFundMe and similar crowdfunding platforms have surface-level review but cannot prevent every fake campaign. Telethons, robocalls, door-to-door solicitations, and social-media ads all carry risk.

The money goes to the scammer's personal accounts, not to any cause.

• Charity name closely mirrors a well-known one with one word different.
• High-pressure phone or door-to-door solicitation demanding immediate decisions.
• No verifiable EIN (charitable tax ID).
• Vague description of where donations go ("operating expenses" 90%+).
• Payment requested in cash, gift cards, wire, or crypto.
• The charity is new, with social presence less than 6 months old.
• "Thank you" letters lack a 501(c)(3) tax-deduction disclosure.
• A GoFundMe with stolen photos or unverifiable backstory.

1. Check the charity at Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, GuideStar, or the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. Real charities are listed.
2. Look up the EIN at the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Real 501(c)(3) charities have a published EIN.
3. Donate directly via the charity's official website, not through a phone caller's payment link.
4. For GoFundMe and similar, only donate when you personally know the beneficiary or can verify via local news / family / employer.
5. Apply the rule: if the charity asks for gift cards or wire, it's a scam.

• Dispute the charge with your credit-card issuer.
• Report the charity to your state attorney general's charities bureau.
• File with the FTC and BBB Wise Giving Alliance.
• For GoFundMe, report the campaign — the platform has refunded fake campaigns at scale.
• Save the donation receipt and any communication as evidence.

• Do not donate to phone solicitors without verifying the EIN.
• Do not give cash to door-to-door solicitors for "veterans" or "police."
• Do not assume a name that sounds like a famous charity is the famous charity.
• Do not click donation links in unexpected emails — go to the charity's site directly.

• 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.