Is Charity Scam Legit or a Scam?

Fake charity solicitations, especially after natural disasters or major news events. Here's what you need to know.

Last Updated: February 3, 2026

Our Assessment

Likely Scam

Messages matching this pattern are almost always fraudulent.

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Received a suspicious charity scam message? Paste it into our AI-powered checker for instant analysis. No data is stored - your privacy is protected.

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Common Examples of Charity Scam Scams

Donate now to help earthquake victims in Turkey. Text GIVE to 55555 or send crypto.

Help Ukrainian refugees: donate via Zelle to charityfund@gmail.com

Red Cross Urgent: Disaster relief needed. Click to donate — your donation doubled today.

Why Am I Receiving This?

The FTC and FBI consistently warn that charity scams spike within hours of major disasters and news events. Scammers register lookalike domain names, create fake GoFundMes, and impersonate established charities to divert donations before legitimate organizations can respond.

What To Do Next

Verify any charity at give.org (BBB Wise Giving) or charitynavigator.org before donating
Go directly to the known charity's official website — do not use links from emails or texts
Avoid donating via gift cards, wire transfer, or crypto — these cannot be recovered
Report fake charities to the FTC and your state Attorney General

How to Spot a Charity Scam Scam

Look for these common red flags:

Urgent language demanding immediate action
Requests for personal information, passwords, or payment
Suspicious links or misspelled domain names
Threats of account suspension or legal action
Unexpected messages claiming problems with accounts you may not have

When in doubt, never click links in unexpected messages. Instead, go directly to the official website by typing the address yourself, or contact the company through their verified customer service channels.

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate is the Charity Scam scam detector?

Our AI analyzes multiple indicators and provides a confidence level with each verdict. While highly accurate for common scam patterns, always verify suspicious messages through official channels.

Is my message stored or shared?

No. Your message is processed transiently by AI and immediately discarded. We never store, log, or share any content you submit.

What should I do if I've already clicked a suspicious link?

Change your passwords immediately, enable two-factor authentication, monitor your accounts for unusual activity, and run antivirus scans on your devices.

How do I report this scam?

Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM), report phishing emails to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and notify the company being impersonated through their official security channels.