Your weekly dose of scam-proofing in 3 minutes or less—no fluff, just the latest hacks, scams, phishing attacks, and cyber cons you actually need to know about.

🚨SCAM OF THE WEEK: FAKE CHARITY SCAMS

Because nothing says “heartless” like stealing money in the name of saving lives.

What is a Fake Charity Scam?

It’s when scammers pretend to represent a legitimate (or totally made-up) charity to trick you into donating.

They prey on your generosity - especially after natural disasters, wars, or during the holidays - and pocket the cash instead of helping anyone.

How it works

1. You get an emotional appeal - via email, text, call, or social media post. There’s been a disaster, a sick child, or an urgent crisis. The story tugs at your heartstrings.

2. They ask for a donation. Sometimes through a dodgy link. Sometimes to a real-sounding charity name. Sometimes even in person.

3. You think you’re helping. You’re not. You’re funding the fraud.

Why it works

• Scammers know people want to do good, fast

• They mimic real charities - names, branding, websites

• The pressure to act quickly (“emergency response”) shuts down due diligence

• Social media makes it easy to share fake fundraisers that go viral

• People rarely double-check before giving

Real-world examples

🎯 After the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake, hundreds of fake donation pages popped up - many using stolen images and AI-generated videos to fake legitimacy.

🎯 The FBI reported a surge in scam charities during the Ukraine crisis. Some impersonated Red Cross and UNICEF using lookalike websites and spoofed email addresses.

🎯 Fake GoFundMe pages were created after every major US school shooting—many by people with zero connection to the victims.

Red flags to look out for

• Vague names like “Disaster Relief Fund” or “Help the Children International”

• No clear website, contact details, or financial transparency

• High-pressure tactics: “Donate NOW or lives will be lost”

• Asking for crypto, gift cards, or wire transfers

• Misspellings or sloppy branding that doesn’t match the real charity

How not to get played

• Always research before donating - check sites like Charity Navigator or the UK Charity Commission

• Go directly to the charity’s official site instead of clicking on links

• Never donate through messages from random accounts or unverified fundraisers

• If it’s a GoFundMe or JustGiving campaign, check for legitimacy, organiser details, and connection to the cause

• Trust your gut - if something feels off, hold your wallet

🔥 ONE-LINER HOT TAKE

If guilt is their strategy and crypto is their payment method, it’s not charity - it’s emotional blackmail.

That’s it for this week.

Generosity is powerful. But giving blindly isn’t kindness - it’s funding scammers in a humanitarian disguise.

Catch you next time,

Dan & the Goldphish Team

📌 P.S. Know someone who clicks “donate” before reading the fine print? Forward this before they accidentally support a scammer’s beach holiday, or tell them to subscribe below.👇