Avoid Disaster & Charity Scams

Protecting Generosity: How to Avoid Charity Scams

It is vital to avoid disaster and charity scams! Disasters and personal crises often bring out the best in people, inspiring compassion, solidarity, and generosity. Unfortunately, these same moments of vulnerability attract those who seek to exploit them. Scammers understand that kindness opens wallets, and they prey on the emotional urgency that follows natural disasters, personal tragedies, and global crises. By creating fake charities, impersonating legitimate organizations, or hijacking donation platforms, these criminals steal from well-meaning donors and divert aid away from people who truly need it.

Charity scams appear in many forms. Some use official-sounding names and professional-looking websites designed to convince donors that their money will reach victims. Others imitate government relief agencies, leveraging trust to collect personal data or demand fraudulent payments. Crowdfunding platforms have also become common targets, with scammers setting up campaigns using stolen photos, fabricated stories, and duplicate fundraisers to trick people into donating. These schemes are carefully crafted to manipulate emotions and push individuals into giving quickly without verifying where their money is going.

Beyond disasters, scammers work year-round to take advantage of goodwill. They exploit social media platforms, email lists, and text messaging to reach as many people as possible, often using urgency and fear as tools. Requests for gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or peer-to-peer payment apps are common red flags. In many cases, once the money is sent, there is little chance of recovering it.

The good news is that protecting donations is possible with awareness and caution. By verifying charities through trusted sources, avoiding unsolicited links, and donating only through official websites, individuals can ensure their contributions reach legitimate organizations. Taking time to pause, research, and confirm before sending money helps safeguard resources and keeps scammers from profiting off tragedy.

Charity scams succeed because they exploit trust and empathy. Recognizing the warning signs and knowing where to turn for verification allows donors to give confidently while protecting themselves. With the right precautions, generosity can reach the people and causes that need it most, without enriching criminals who prey on compassion.

These Scams are Very Common

When caring individuals see suffering in others, whether from hurricanes, wildfires, or other disasters, they are moved to act. Sadly, this compassion can be exploited. Scammers quickly set up false charities, clone relief websites, or hijack crowdfunding campaigns to steal generously intended donations. These crimes are not rare. In 2024 alone, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received over 4,500 reports of losses tied to fraudulent charities and disaster relief campaigns, totaling around $96 million. Nationally, Americans reported losing more than $12.5 billion to fraud in the same year, a 25 percent rise from the previous year.

Reducing your risk of falling victim starts with awareness and cautious action. Here’s how to identify charity scams and take reliable steps to protect your generosity.

How to Avoid Charity Scams – Step by Step

1. Verify Official Sources
   If a disaster-related relief message appears, never follow unsolicited links. Go directly to FEMA.gov or DisasterAssistance.gov for help. Fraudulent FEMA sites may ask for personal data or fake payments; FEMA never charges fees.
2. Check Charity Credentials
   Research charities using trusted platforms like CharityNavigator.org, CharityWatch, or your state’s charitable regulator. Avoid ads, social media links, or unusual URLs. Scammers often employ names similar to real charities; small changes can hide fraud.
3. Avoid Risky Fundraising Pages
   Crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe often host both legitimate and fake campaigns. Only donate to fundraisers created by people you know or by widely verified, reputable groups. Scammers frequently use stolen images and fictitious stories.
4. Be Wary of Fraudulent Help Offers
   After disasters, unscrupulous contractors or impersonators may pose as aid workers or Red Cross volunteers. Legitimate helpers do not charge upfront or operate without credentials, licensing, or written estimates.
5. Use Secure Payment Methods
   Never donate using gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or peer-to-peer apps such as Venmo or Zelle. These methods offer little protection and are commonly invoked in fraud. Instead, use credit cards or checks through verified websites for safer tracking.
6. Slow Down and Report Suspicious Activity
   Scammers thrive on urgency and emotion. If something feels off, pause. Verify the cause, ask questions, and check independent sources. Then, report suspected scams to the FBI’s IC3 or the FTC’s ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your reports help law enforcement track and stop criminals
7. Why It Matters
   Your generosity can make a real difference if it reaches legitimate causes. Charity fraud not only diverts resources but also undermines trust in charitable systems. In 2024, nearly 38 percent of people who reported scams said they lost money; fake charities can be part of that wave. By following these steps, verifying legitimacy, protecting personal information, using safe payment methods, and staying alert, you help keep your gifts where they belong and your compassion intact.

Conclusion

Charity scams succeed because they exploit trust, compassion, and urgency. Scammers understand that people want to help others during disasters and personal crises, and they use this instinct to their advantage. By creating fake charities, copying the names of real organizations, or impersonating government agencies, they divert money away from legitimate causes and into criminal networks. The result is not only financial loss but also fewer resources reaching the people who truly need them.

Protecting donations begins with slowing down and verifying before giving. Relying on official sources, researching organizations through trusted databases, and avoiding risky payment methods dramatically lowers the chance of falling victim. Donors can also help others by reporting suspicious charities to the FBI’s IC3 or the FTC’s ReportFraud.ftc.gov, enabling law enforcement to track and shut down fraudulent operations.

Generosity is one of society’s greatest strengths, but it requires caution to ensure that it reaches the right hands. With awareness, deliberate action, and reliable resources, individuals can continue to give confidently and securely. Scammers rely on panic, but informed donors can protect themselves, their money, and the causes they care about most.

Please Note: The SCARS Institute (Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.) is a privately funded nonprofit registered in the state of Florida, USA. We do not accept private donations any longer.

Reference

• FEMA Disaster Fraud
• Spot and avoid FEMA impersonators
• Be Alert to Fraud After a Disaster
• Donating Safely and Avoiding Scams
• Avoiding Charity Scams – Charity Navigator