Trust and safety

Disaster Relief Scams: 7 Checks Before You Donate Online

A real crisis creates legitimate need, and it gives scammers an opening to impersonate charities, redirect donations, and exploit urgency.

When a disaster appears in the news, many people want to help immediately.

Scammers understand that impulse. They may create fake charities, impersonate legitimate organizations, circulate fraudulent crowdfunding campaigns, or send urgent messages directing people to payment accounts they control.

The disaster may be real. The photographs may be real. The need may be real.

None of that proves the donation request is legitimate.

On August 27, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission warned that scammers were creating fake charities that appeared to support people affected by weather emergencies, floods, earthquakes, and other disasters. Read the FTC’s current warning (opens in a new tab).

You can still give generously. I suggest giving through a process that verifies where the money is going.

If You Read Only One Thing

The existence of a real disaster does not prove that the person requesting your donation represents a real relief organization.

Your Action Steps

Here are the steps I suggest before donating online:

  1. Stop and identify exactly who is asking.

  2. Do not donate through the message or advertisement that first reached you.

  3. Locate the organization’s official website independently.

  4. Verify the organization’s exact legal name.

  5. Review who controls any crowdfunding campaign.

  6. Avoid unusual or irreversible payment demands.

  7. Confirm the recipient and amount before submitting payment.

Seven Checks Before You Donate

1. Do Not Donate Directly Through an Unexpected Message

A fraudulent request may arrive through:

  • Email

  • Text message

  • Social-media post

  • Direct message

  • Online advertisement

  • Telephone call

  • Search advertisement

  • QR code

  • Crowdfunding link

Accurate information about a disaster, or photographs from the affected location, do not make a message legitimate.

I recommend leaving the message and locating the charity independently.

2. Verify the Exact Organization Name

Scammers may use a name that resembles a real charity. A minor change in spelling, punctuation, or wording can be easy to miss.

It can help to write down the organization’s exact name, then search for the official website independently and compare:

  • The name

  • Web address

  • Contact information

  • Stated mission

  • Donation page

The FTC recommends researching the exact name because dishonest fundraisers may use names that sound like established charities. Read the FTC guidance on evaluating charities (opens in a new tab).

3. Check the Web Address

A polished website is not proof of legitimacy.

I suggest looking carefully for:

  • Misspelled organization names

  • Unusual domain endings

  • Extra words or characters

  • Recently created imitation pages

  • Donation buttons that redirect to unrelated domains

  • Payment recipients that do not match the organization

If you already know and trust the charity, one option is to type its established web address directly into the browser or use a bookmark you created earlier.

4. Research an Unfamiliar Charity

The IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search can provide information about an organization’s tax-exempt status and filings. Search tax-exempt organizations through the IRS (opens in a new tab).

Tax-exempt status does not tell you whether the organization is effective or whether a particular message is authentic, but it can help confirm whether a claimed organization exists under the name provided.

You can also search the organization’s name with words such as:

  • Complaint

  • Scam

  • Review

  • Fraud

I would not rely solely on testimonials displayed by the organization itself.

5. Investigate Crowdfunding Campaigns

A crowdfunding platform may host legitimate campaigns, but the platform’s familiar branding does not guarantee every claim made by every organizer.

Before contributing, I suggest finding out:

  • Who created the campaign

  • How that person knows the beneficiary

  • Who will receive the money

  • Whether the beneficiary has confirmed the campaign

  • What the money is intended to cover

  • What protections the platform provides

If a campaign claims to support a specific family or person, it can help to look for independent confirmation from the beneficiary or a trusted person directly connected to them.

6. Be Suspicious of Unusual Payment Instructions

The FTC warns against donation demands involving cash, gift cards, or wire transfers. Credit cards and checks generally provide a clearer payment record. Read the FTC donation-safety guidance (opens in a new tab).

I recommend extra caution if someone insists that you:

  • Buy gift cards

  • Wire money

  • Send cryptocurrency

  • Use a payment application to pay an individual

  • Provide banking credentials

  • Act before you have time to investigate

A legitimate need can be urgent without requiring an unsafe payment method.

7. Review the Final Payment Screen

Before submitting payment, I suggest confirming:

  • The organization name

  • The payment recipient

  • The amount

  • Whether the donation is one-time or recurring

  • Any added processing fee

  • The web address

  • The confirmation and receipt process

Some donation pages automatically select recurring contributions. It is worth checking that the frequency reflects what you intended.

After donating, I suggest saving the receipt and reviewing your account statement.

Information a Charity Should Not Need

A charitable contribution generally should not require:

  • Your account password

  • Your banking login

  • A verification code sent to your phone

  • Remote access to your device

  • Your Social Security number

  • Payment to “unlock” the donation

  • Installation of unfamiliar software

If a fundraiser turns the conversation into an account-security process, I recommend stopping there.

If You Donated Through a Fraudulent Page

These are the steps I suggest, taken promptly:

  1. Contact the bank, credit-card issuer, or payment service.

  2. Explain that the transaction resulted from fraud.

  3. Ask whether the payment can be stopped or disputed.

  4. Change any password entered on the fraudulent site.

  5. Review the account for additional charges.

  6. Report the incident at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

  7. Preserve messages, receipts, URLs, and screenshots.

I would not pay anyone who promises to recover the donation in exchange for an advance fee. Recovery scams frequently target people who have already experienced fraud.

Generosity With Verification

The goal is not to become suspicious of every charitable organization.

The goal is to separate the emotional decision to help from the technical decision about where to send money.

My suggestion: choose the cause with your heart, and verify the payment destination with care.

Resources Outside Haven Smith & Company

Haven Smith & Company Resources

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