Every major disaster, war or public tragedy brings a wave of fake appeals that take money meant for victims and leave real charities short. A charity scam is any request for a donation where the money does not go to the cause described: a made-up organisation, a copycat of a real charity, a crowdfunding page for a person who does not exist, or a caller who pockets the gift. This guide explains how these appeals work, the checks that take two minutes before you give in the UK and the US, how to treat crowdfunding, and what to do if you think you have given to a scam. It is written for individual donors, and for people who run awareness sessions for staff, customers or community groups.
Key takeaways
- Check the register before you give. In England and Wales most charities with an annual income of £5,000 or more must be on the Charity Commission register; in the US the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search shows whether a group can receive tax-deductible gifts.
- The payment method is the biggest tell. The FTC says that if a caller asks for cash, gift cards, cryptocurrency or a wire transfer, it is a scam. Give by card or cheque, or through the charity's own website.
- Pressure to give now is a warning sign. Genuine charities will send information and accept a donation tomorrow. Scammers push for an immediate decision and may claim you already pledged.
- Crowdfunding needs its own checks. A page can be set up by anyone. Look for verifiable details about the organiser and the person helped, and remember that gifts to an individual are generally not tax deductible.
- Start the contact yourself. Do not give through links in unexpected emails, texts or social posts. Type the charity's address yourself, or give through a coordinated appeal you already know.
What it is
Charity fraud covers several different schemes that share one feature: a donor believes the money is going to a good cause and it does not. The FBI describes the pattern around disasters: criminals set up new organisations that claim to help victims of recent high-profile events, use names that closely resemble reputable groups, and contact people by email, social media, crowdfunding sites and cold calls. The FTC adds that scam appeals often come from a group that sounds familiar and real, which is exactly why they work.
The main types are:
- Sham charities: organisations that exist on paper, or not at all, and spend little or nothing on the cause.
- Copycat appeals: websites, emails and social accounts that copy the name, logo or campaign of a well-known charity and redirect donations.
- Fake individual crowdfunding: pages for an invented victim, or for a real victim set up by someone with no link to the family.
- Doorstep and street collections without a licence: collectors with buckets or forms who are not working for the charity named.
- Charity themed lures: appeals used to steal card details or install malware, and prize offers that claim to be sponsored by a charity you support (the FTC published an alert in 2026 about scammers impersonating well-known charities to sell fake sweepstakes prizes; see the Prize, Lottery and Inheritance Scams Guide).
Charity scams are a form of impersonation. The general call-back habit is covered in the Impersonation Scams Guide; this page covers what is specific to giving.
How it works
Most fake appeals follow the news cycle. Within hours of a hurricane, earthquake, conflict or attack, new websites, hashtags and fundraising pages appear. Scammers rely on three things: strong emotion, a sense that help is needed today, and the fact that few donors check before they give.
The typical sequence
- Hook: a social post with a moving photo, a text message, a phone call or an email about a disaster or a sick child, often using a familiar sounding name.
- Urgency: the FTC lists pressure to give right away as a core warning sign. Callers may say you already made a pledge, to make paying feel like keeping a promise.
- Deflection: asked for written information or a registration number, the caller refuses, changes the subject or says there is no time.
- Payment by an untraceable route: gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, cash collection or a bank transfer to a personal account. These are hard or impossible to reverse.
- Repeat: a donor who pays once is often contacted again, sometimes by a second scammer offering to "recover" the money.
Red flags at a glance
| What you notice | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A new organisation that appeared right after a disaster | The FBI warns specifically about new groups claiming to aid victims of recent high-profile events | Give to an established charity whose work you already know |
| A name very close to a well-known charity | Copycat names are a common FBI and Minnesota Attorney General warning | Check the exact name and number on the official register |
| Request for cash, gift cards, crypto or wire transfer | The FTC says this means it is a scam | Refuse; give by card or cheque through the charity's own site |
| "You already pledged, we are just collecting" | A pressure tactic named by the FTC | Say you will give directly later, then hang up |
| Caller ID shows a charity name | The FTC notes caller ID can be faked to show any name or number | Call back on a number from the charity's official website |
| Refusal to send written information | Genuine charities explain how donations are used | Ask for information by post and wait for it |
| Link in an unexpected email or text | Links can lead to fake donation pages that collect card details | Type the web address yourself |
| Street collector with no visible licence | UK face to face collections normally need a local authority licence, or a Metropolitan Police licence in Greater London | Ask to see it, or donate later online |
Why it matters
Charity fraud harms two groups at once: the donor who loses money and the genuine cause that does not receive it. It also damages trust, so people give less to the next appeal. The Charity Commission for England and Wales reported, using Action Fraud data (Report Fraud replaced Action Fraud on 4 December 2025), that charities themselves lost £2,732,170 to fraud across 501 reported cases between 1 November 2022 and 31 October 2023. That figure is about fraud against charities, not donors, but it shows the sector is a target from both sides.
Reporting routes have also changed. The US Department of Justice states that the National Center for Disaster Fraud closed on 31 March 2026, and now points people to the agency that fits the type of fraud, with consumer fraud going to the FTC. Some older advice pages still mention the centre, so use the current routes below.
How to check a charity before you give
These checks take a few minutes and stop most scams. Do them before you give, not after.
| Where you live | Official check | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | Charity Commission register (gov.uk/checkcharity) | Whether the name and registration number match a registered charity. Most charities with an annual income of £5,000 or more must register |
| Scotland and Northern Ireland | The Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) and Charity Commission for Northern Ireland registers | Registration in that nation |
| UK fundraising standards | Fundraising Regulator Directory and the Fundraising Badge | Whether the organisation has committed to the Code of Fundraising Practice |
| United States, federal | IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search | Whether a group can receive tax-deductible donations (Pub 78 data), whether its exemption was automatically revoked, and its Form 990 filings |
| United States, state | Your state charity regulator, usually the Attorney General | Whether the charity or its paid fundraiser is registered to solicit in your state; the FTC notes most states require this |
- Match the name and number: the Charity Commission advises checking both the charity's name and its registration number. A real number attached to a slightly different name is a copycat.
- Look at the money: contact the charity or research how it spends its funds. US Form 990 returns in the IRS search show income and spending for larger organisations; the IRS notes that processing of paper-filed returns is delayed, so recent years may be missing.
- Use coordinated appeals: in the UK, the Charity Commission has suggested donating through the Disasters Emergency Committee, which brings together 15 registered UK aid charities, when a major humanitarian appeal is running.
- Small local causes: UK charities with income under £5,000 do not have to register, so contact them directly and check through people you know.
- Check the web address: the FBI notes that legitimate charities typically use .org rather than .com. Treat this as one signal only, since anyone can register a .org domain.
- Search for complaints: the FTC suggests searching the charity's name with the words "scam" or "complaint" before giving.
Crowdfunding: extra care
Crowdfunding pages let anyone raise money in minutes, which is why they appear first after a tragedy and why they need separate thought. The Minnesota Attorney General's guidance highlights cases where organisers kept donations for themselves and were charged or sentenced.
- Know who is asking: research the organiser, their link to the person or cause, and whether public facts support the story.
- Look for specific, checkable details: a named family, a local news report, a statement from a known community group. Vague stories with stock photos are a warning sign.
- Understand fees: platforms may take a cut, so part of the gift may not reach the recipient. Giving through a charity's own website avoids this.
- Tax treatment: not every crowdfunding donation is tax deductible, and gifts to a specific person generally are not.
- Prefer charities for large disasters: for an earthquake or flood, an established charity with staff on the ground usually delivers more than an individual page.
Common misconceptions
- "It was shared by a friend, so it is real." Friends share appeals in good faith. Sharing tells you nothing about who controls the money.
- "The caller knew the charity's name, so they work for it." Scammers deliberately use names that sound familiar, and caller ID can be faked.
- "A registered charity cannot be a scam." Registration confirms the organisation exists. Copycats still use real names and numbers, which is why you should give through the charity's own website or official number, not the link in front of you.
- "A .org address proves it is a charity." It is a helpful signal, not proof.
- "Giving fast helps most." Relief needs last for months. A gift made a day later, after checking, still helps; a gift to a scammer helps nobody.
- "I can always get my money back." Card payments may be disputed with your card issuer, but gift cards, cryptocurrency and wire transfers are very hard to recover.
If you think you gave to a scam
- Contact your bank or card issuer straight away: using the number on your card. In the UK you can call 159 to reach most banks. Ask whether the payment can be stopped or disputed.
- Report it: in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud), in Scotland to Police Scotland on 101, and in the US to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or 1-877-382-4357. The FBI also takes charity and disaster fraud reports through IC3.
- Tell the real charity: if your gift went to a copycat of a genuine charity, let the charity know so it can warn others.
- Watch for follow-up contact: people who offer to recover the money for a fee are a second scam.
- Protect your details: if you gave card or bank details on a fake page, follow the steps in the What to Do If You Have Been Scammed Guide.
For all reporting routes by country, see the Consumer Reporting Routes Map.
Related concepts
- Impersonation scams: charity appeals are one script among many that borrow a trusted name. See the Impersonation Scams Guide.
- Advance fee and prize scams: some charity lures turn into "you have won" offers. See the Prize, Lottery and Inheritance Scams Guide.
- Phishing: fake appeal emails are phishing with an emotional hook. See the How to Spot a Phishing Email Guide.
- Gift card fraud: why scammers ask for gift cards. See the Loyalty Points and Gift Card Fraud Guide.
- Older donors: people who give regularly by phone or post receive more solicitations. See the Cybersecurity for Seniors Guide.
Practitioner checklist
- Before any donation, check the charity's exact name and registration number on the official register for your country.
- Give through the charity's own website or a number you looked up yourself, never through a link or number in an unexpected message.
- Refuse any request to pay by cash collection, gift card, cryptocurrency or wire transfer.
- Ask cold callers to send written information and do not commit on the call.
- For crowdfunding, confirm who the organiser is and how the money reaches the person helped, and check platform fees.
- After a disaster, favour established charities or a coordinated appeal over new organisations.
- Ask UK street and doorstep collectors to show their licence.
- If you think you gave to a scam, call your bank first, then report to Report Fraud, Police Scotland or the FTC.
- In awareness sessions, time charity scam reminders to follow major news events, when fake appeals peak.
Standards and references
- Federal Trade Commission: Charity Fraud (Pass It On)
- Federal Trade Commission: Spread the word about charity fraud
- FBI: Charity and Disaster Fraud
- IRS: Tax Exempt Organization Search
- Charity Commission for England and Wales: Regulators urge public to take care when donating to charity
- Charity Commission for England and Wales: Regulators urge safer giving during a humanitarian crisis
- US Department of Justice: Disaster Fraud
- US Department of Justice: Closing of the National Center for Disaster Fraud (31 March 2026)
- GOV.UK: Report Fraud, new service from City of London Police
- Minnesota Attorney General: Crowdfunding
Related NHI Mgmt Group resources: Impersonation Scams Guide · What to Do If You Have Been Scammed Guide · Consumer Reporting Routes Map · Cybersecurity for Seniors Guide