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Fraudulent charities and crowdfunding campaigns exploit natural disasters, mass casualty events, and humanitarian crises to steal donations. FBI IC3 received 4,500+ complaints with $96M in losses in 2024. Scammers spin up fake charities within hours of major disasters.
Annual Losses
$96M in reported losses (FBI IC3 2024)
Avg Loss / Victim
No published category-specific median
Primary Vector
Social media campaigns, crowdfunding platforms, email, phone calls, door-to-door
Peak Season
Immediately following major disasters (hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes); holiday giving season (Nov-Dec)
Within hours of a disaster, scammers create fake charity websites, GoFundMe pages, and social media campaigns using real disaster footage. They use names similar to legitimate charities (e.g., 'American Red Cross Relief Fund' vs. the real 'American Red Cross') to confuse donors. Some set up fake relief organizations that collect donations but provide no services. Others impersonate real charity workers door-to-door. The emotional urgency of a crisis bypasses normal skepticism.
Hover or tap the highlighted text to see why each element is a red flag.
[Social media post with disaster footage] DEVASTATING. Our community needs your help NOW. The American Relief FoundationRed flag: Name designed to sound like a real, established charity — verify at give.org or charitynavigator.org before donating is on the ground providing emergency aidRed flag: Claim of active operations with no verifiable evidence — real charities have established records to hurricane victims. Every dollar counts. Donate at: american-relief-foundation.orgRed flag: Recently created domain — check domain registration date via WHOIS/donate
[Robocall] This is an urgent appeal from the Wildfire Victims Relief FundRed flag: Unverifiable organization name — legitimate charities don't cold-call for credit card donations. Families have lost everything. We're collecting donations to provide food, shelter, and medical care. Press 1 to donate $50Red flag: Robocall donation solicitation is almost always a scam — real charities don't use this method by credit card now. Every second counts.
Charity name is similar to but not exactly a known organization
Scammers use names like 'American Red Cross Relief Fund' or 'National Disaster Aid' to ride on real charities' reputations
Pressure to donate immediately without time to verify
Real charities accept donations any time — they don't pressure you into instant credit card transactions
Donation only accepted via wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency
Legitimate charities accept credit cards, checks, and online payments through established platforms — never gift cards
You can't verify the charity on give.org or charitynavigator.org
Before donating, check the organization's rating and track record at these independent watchdog sites
Crowdfunding campaign with no verifiable connection to victims
GoFundMe campaigns can be created by anyone — verify the organizer's identity and connection to the cause
Established charities like the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and local community foundations have verified websites, IRS 501(c)(3) status, and years of financial records. They accept donations through secure online portals, check, or credit card. They never cold-call for credit card donations or demand gift cards. You can verify any charity at give.org, charitynavigator.org, or guidestar.org.
Check if the organizer has a verified identity, if they have a clear connection to the victims/cause, and if the campaign details are specific and verifiable. GoFundMe's 'Giving Guarantee' offers some donor protection, but it's not foolproof. When in doubt, donate through established charities instead.
If you receive an unsolicited call, text, or email asking for donations, do not respond directly. Instead, go to the charity's official website (that you find independently) and donate there. Legitimate charities won't object to you verifying them before giving.
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