Holiday Charity Scams: How to Verify Before You Donate

GoFundMe has implemented verification measures, but fraud still slips through, especially when campaigns go viral before verification is complete.

Disaster Relief Scams

After every natural disaster, fake relief organizations spring up. They use real footage and photos from the disaster zone combined with urgent appeals for donations. These scams exploit both the desire to help and the chaos that follows disasters, when vetting is difficult and emotional urgency is high.

Social Media Solicitations

Holiday giving scams spread through social media via:

• Emotional posts with "donate" links to fake charity pages
• Influencers promoting unverified causes (sometimes paid to do so)
• Viral stories with embedded donation links that redirect to scammers
• Fake charity accounts impersonating real organizations

Phone and Door-to-Door Solicitation

High-pressure phone calls claiming to collect for police, firefighter, or veteran organizations. Many of these are operated by for-profit telemarketing firms that keep 80-90% of what they collect. Door-to-door solicitors with vague organizational affiliations and pressure to donate in cash are also common during the holidays.

How to Verify a Charity

Check charity rating services:

• Charity Navigator (charitynavigator.org) — Rates charities on financial health, accountability, and transparency
• GuideStar/Candid (guidestar.org) — Provides detailed nonprofit financial information
• BBB Wise Giving Alliance (give.org) — Evaluates against 20 standards of accountability
• CharityWatch (charitywatch.org) — Grades charities A-F

A legitimate charity will be rated on at least one of these platforms. If you can't find any information about an organization, that's a significant red flag.

Verify tax-exempt status. Use the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search (apps.irs.gov/app/eos/) to confirm that a charity is a registered 501(c)(3). If it's not, your donation isn't tax-deductible, and the organization may not be legitimate.

Research before giving. Search "[charity name] scam" or "[charity name] complaints." Paste solicitation emails or texts into IsThisAScam to check for known fraud patterns.

How to Donate Safely

Give directly through the charity's official website. Type the URL yourself rather than following links in emails, texts, or social media posts.

Use a credit card. Credit cards offer fraud protection that cash, wire transfers, and gift cards don't. If a charity insists on cash, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer, that's a red flag.

Don't give to high-pressure solicitations. Legitimate charities don't demand donations on the spot. "If you don't give today, children will go hungry tonight" is manipulation, not fundraising.

Be cautious with workplace giving campaigns. Verify that the campaign is actually sponsored by your employer and that funds go where advertised.

Keep records. Get receipts for all donations. You'll need them for tax deductions, and they serve as records if fraud is discovered later.

What to Do If You Suspect Charity Fraud

• Report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
• File a complaint with your state's attorney general (most have a charity fraud division)
• Report fake GoFundMe campaigns through the platform's reporting feature
• If you paid by credit card, contact your card issuer about a chargeback

Generosity is powerful. Scammers who exploit it are counting on your emotions overriding your judgment. Taking five minutes to verify a charity before donating ensures your generosity reaches people who actually need it.