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Intelligence report · Charity & donation scams

If a charity call pressures you to give right now by gift card or wire, it is a scam.

Most charities are real, and the urge to help is a good one, which is exactly what these scammers exploit. A real charity is glad to send you information, answer your questions, and let you give on your own time by check or card. A fake one rushes you, refuses to explain how the money is used, and asks to be paid by gift card, wire, or cryptocurrency. If you are being pressured to give immediately, slow down. Below is the live federal data behind that finding, the exact pitches these callers use, and how to check the charity or number before you give.

The Evidence · Live federal readout
FTC + FCC · Updated Jun 28, 2026

Complaints in our federal data · since 2025

11,543

About 1,422 in the last 90 days.

30-day trend

23.3% rising

Direction moves week to week, and it can rise again.

Robocall share

~57%

arrive as automated robocalls

Top originating area codes

Recently reported numbers

90-day reports

From 11,543 complaints in the FTC and FCC federal complaint databases, refreshed weekly. Each number and area code opens its own report page.

How it works

One good cause, five fakes

Charity scams arrive in five recognizable forms. They share one spine: a worthy-sounding cause, pressure to give immediately, and a payment method or a vagueness that a real charity would never use. Here is how to read each one.

01

Fake police, firefighter, or veterans charity

“We’re raising money for local police and fallen firefighters. Can we count on your support?”

What they say

“A caller says they are collecting for police, firefighters, veterans, or their families, often using an official-sounding name and implying your donation supports people who protect you. They press for a commitment on the call.”

How to tell it’s a scam

  • Names that invoke police, firefighters, or veterans are heavily used by scammers because they are hard to say no to.
  • Real first-responder and veterans groups do not pressure you for an immediate gift or imply you are unpatriotic for asking questions.
  • A donation to one of these names rarely reaches the people pictured, and little or none goes to the cause.
What to do: Do not commit on the call. Ask for the exact name, then look the charity up yourself on Charity Navigator or your state charity registry before giving a cent.
02

Disaster or current-event relief

“We’re collecting for families hit by the hurricane. Every minute counts, please give now.”

What they say

“Right after a hurricane, wildfire, or other tragedy in the news, a caller asks you to give to victims immediately. They lean on the emotion and urgency of the event and want your card or a gift card right away.”

How to tell it’s a scam

  • Scammers move fast after disasters and create fake funds that mimic the real relief effort.
  • “Every minute counts” and “give now” are pressure. Real relief organizations welcome a donation made on your own time, directly.
  • Sound-alike names and brand-new funds appear overnight to ride the headlines.
What to do: Give directly through a well-known relief organization’s official website, not through a caller. Take a minute to verify the group before donating.
03

Sound-alike charity name

“This is the National Cancer Relief Foundation calling about your annual gift.”

What they say

“The caller uses a name that sounds almost identical to a real, well-known charity, sometimes claiming you donated before. The familiar name is meant to lower your guard and make a gift feel routine.”

How to tell it’s a scam

  • Scam charities deliberately pick names a few words off from real ones to borrow their trust.
  • Claiming you are a past donor is a tactic to make the call feel expected, even if you never gave.
  • The real charity’s name, spelled exactly, can be checked. A close-but-not-quite name is the warning sign.
What to do: Do not assume from the name. Confirm the exact spelling and look the charity up on Charity Navigator or the BBB Wise Giving Alliance before you give.
04

Gift card, wire, or crypto pressure

“To donate right now, you can read me the numbers off a gift card or send it by app.”

What they say

“Once you show interest, the caller steers you to pay in a specific way: reading off a gift card, wiring money, sending it through a cash app, or paying in cryptocurrency, and they want it done on the call.”

How to tell it’s a scam

  • No legitimate charity asks for donations by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. That request alone means it is a scam.
  • These payment methods are chosen because they are nearly impossible to trace or reverse once sent.
  • Pressure to pay this exact way, this instant, is the clearest tell of all.
What to do: Stop. Do not read a gift card or send money this way. Give by credit card or check to a charity you looked up and chose yourself, where you can dispute a charge if needed.
05

Fake crowdfunding plea

“Please share and donate to this fundraiser for a sick child, time is running out.”

What they say

“A message, post, or call points you to a crowdfunding page or personal fund for a sick child, a stranger in crisis, or a viral cause, with an emotional story and a link to give right away.”

How to tell it’s a scam

  • Fake fundraisers copy photos and stories from real ones, or invent a crisis to harvest donations and card details.
  • Urgency and a heart-wrenching story paired with an unfamiliar link are the warning signs.
  • Money sent to a personal fundraiser is hard to trace and, if the story is fake, gone for good.
What to do: Do not give through an unfamiliar link sent to you. If a cause moves you, find the official fundraiser yourself and verify the organizer before donating.
The questions

Is it real? The questions every giver asks

If you want to help but something feels off, these are the questions to ask first, and the honest answers.

The question

It is for a good cause, so why does it matter how I pay?

The straight answer

Because the payment method is the tell. No real charity asks for gift cards, wires, or cryptocurrency. A genuine charity gladly takes a check or card you can trace and dispute, on your own time.

The question

The name sounded like a charity I know. Doesn’t that make it safe?

The straight answer

No. Scam charities pick names a few words off from real ones on purpose. Confirm the exact name and look the charity up on Charity Navigator or the BBB Wise Giving Alliance before you trust it.

The question

They said they need it right now for disaster victims. Shouldn’t I hurry?

The straight answer

Urgency is the pressure, not the proof. Real relief groups welcome a gift made on your own time, directly through their official site. Anyone rushing you to give this minute is steering you past your judgment.

The question

How can I actually tell if a charity is legitimate before I give?

The straight answer

Ask for the exact name and what share of your gift reaches the cause, then check it yourself on Charity Navigator, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, or your state charity registry. A real charity answers gladly. A scam dodges the questions.

Your AI analyst

Run it by Ava.

Describe the call, the message, or whatever they are asking for. Ava names exactly what you are dealing with, tells you your next move, and can act to shut it down for you and keep watch in case they try again.

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