Checked
Written from official fraud-agency notices. Every figure and piece of advice is checked against the sources listed at the bottom.
What we found
Set out in the same plain format as reader reports.
- What kind of scam?
- Prizes, loans and charity
- In short
- A caller, message or look-alike website asks for a donation, often after a disaster. The money does not go to any charity.
- How does it reach you?
- Phone, text, social media or website
- What does the message look like?
- Example message written by us.Families need your help now. Donate today by gift card or crypto. You may have pledged before. Give here: relief-fund-help.example
- How can you spot it?
- Pressure to give now
Scammers push you to donate before you can check. - A name that is close to a well-known charity
Look-alike names and web addresses. - Gift cards, crypto, wire or payment apps
The FTC calls these likely scams. - A prize or contest for donating
That is a scam.
- Pressure to give now
- Is it growing?
- It is ongoing
- Where do I report it?
- FTC ReportFraud
reportfraud.ftc.gov
- FTC ReportFraud
If this happened to you
- Do not rush. Search the charity name with "complaint" or "scam".
- Check registration with your state charity regulator, and for US tax deductions use the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.
- Donate by credit card or check, and go to the charity's own website, not a link in a text or post.
- Keep records. If you paid a scammer, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state charity regulator.
Sources (1)
Sources
- US Federal Trade Commission: Before giving to a charity (Checked 18 Oct 2026)