How it works
After a hurricane, earthquake, or high-profile death, scammers spin up donation pages mimicking real charities and run social ads driving traffic to them.
Red flags
- Charity you've never heard of
- Pressure to donate immediately
- Payment via wire or crypto only
Real-world example
"100% of your donation goes to victims of the wildfires. Donate $50 in BTC to wallet 1A1zP..."
What to do
- 01Check the charity on Charity Navigator, GuideStar, or your country's charity registry.
- 02Donate directly through the official site of a known charity.
- 03Report fakes to the platform hosting the ad.
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