Charity Scams

Several scam operations emerged during times of crisis, such as when hurricanes struck the U.S. and during the devastating tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean—impacting coastal regions of Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Malaysia. Be especially cautious of fake donation appeals during disasters. Sadly, unethical scammers often exploit tragedies for personal gain, turning disaster relief into profit-making schemes. Setting up a fake charity is relatively easy, and during such vulnerable moments, people are more likely to donate without verifying legitimacy.

Cautions:

• Don’t provide payment information to anyone who contacts you by phone or email.

  Carefully check the name of the charity. Scammers often use names that closely resemble those of legitimate organizations to confuse and mislead donors. For example, a scam charity might use the name "National Cancer Society" (fake) instead of "American Cancer Society" (legitimate).

  Be cautious of emotional manipulation. Avoid charities that rely heavily on overly emotional language or heart-wrenching images as part of their pitch. This is a common tactic used by scammers to pressure you into donating without proper verification.

• Always ask the charity to send you printed materials by mail. If the material does not clearly explain how the money is used and what percentage of donations actually goes to the cause, do not contribute. If that information is missing but you're still interested, call them directly. Legitimate charities are transparent and never hesitate to show who they are, what they do, and how they do it.

  Don’t give in to pressure or aggressive sales tactics. If a charity representative urges you to donate immediately or insists on urgent action, treat it as a red flag.

  Be cautious if the charity only accepts online payment through a processor like PayPal and provides only a P.O. Box address. This lack of transparency is suspicious, as it’s easy to set up a fake PayPal account. Trustworthy charities should have a verifiable street address and a working phone number, and they should support secure wire transfer options.

  If you receive a charity request by email, check the sender’s address using our Email Scam Checker Tool. It’s free and available to all users.