Charity scam: is that donation call real?

Editorially reviewed · Last updated July 21, 2026

Yes — this is a scam. A real charity never needs your donation by gift card, wire, or crypto tonight — that payment ask is the whole verdict.

Incoming call

(305) 555‑0177

maybe: Relief Fund

Voicemail transcript

“Hello, this is Amanda with the National Storm Relief Bureau. Families hit by this week's flooding have lost everything, and we're getting emergency funds to them tonight. The fastest way to give is a gift card or a wire transfer — I can stay on the line while you pick up the cards. Every minute counts. Can the families count on your $100 right now?”

The Phone call, as received

Other versions you might get: A robocall seeking donations when you've never given to that charity before (that alone breaks FTC rules); a caller who insists you “already pledged” last year; a police, firefighter, or veterans fund you've never heard of; a text or social-media appeal after a hurricane, earthquake, or wildfire; or a donation pitch that comes with a guaranteed prize. Same test every time: verify the charity yourself before any money moves.

Know the signs

Charity scams borrow the trust of real giving: an emotional story (usually tied to the latest disaster), a name that sounds like a charity you know, and pressure to give right now by a payment method that can't be traced or reversed.

What to watch for

The payment method is the tell: gift cards, wires, payment apps, or crypto — the FTC says a charity demanding those is likely a scam
Vague, sentimental claims with no specifics about who is helped or how the money is used
Pressure and lies to keep you moving — a fake prior pledge, a deadline, a caller ID that can be spoofed to say anything

The one rule: Never donate on the call. Hang up, look the charity up at give.org or your state charity regulator, and if it checks out, give directly through its own website by card or check.

What to do right now

Hang up — you don't owe a caller a donation. Fundraisers can legally call you, but you never have to decide on the phone, and no legitimate charity needs gift cards, a wire, or crypto tonight.
Check the charity before giving a cent. Look it up at give.org (the BBB Wise Giving Alliance evaluates charities free against 20 accountability standards), and confirm it's registered with your state's charity regulator. Write the exact name down — sound-alikes count on you not checking.
Give directly, not through the caller. If the cause checks out, donate by credit card or check on the charity's own website — the FTC calls those the safest ways to give — so nothing is skimmed by a middleman.
If you already paid a scammer: call your bank or card issuer to dispute it, or the gift-card issuer to try to freeze the card, then report what happened.
Report it. File at reportfraud.ftc.gov and with your state charity regulator — reports are how fake “relief funds” get shut down between disasters.

How to make sure it never bites you

Donation scammers work from the same sold call lists as every other phone scam, and giving once — even to a real charity through a paid fundraiser — often means more calls. Screen unknown callers, let voicemail filter the pressure, and cut your number from the lists they buy: how to stop scam calls.

Untrappable · Public service advisory

Stop the next one at the source

The calls keep coming because data brokers sell your number. Cutting that off is the only thing that reduces the volume — blocking one number won't, they just rotate. Start with the free steps.

Add your number to the Do Not Call RegistryFree, permanent, and it makes selling your number to legitimate callers illegal.
Report the call to the FTCHelps regulators go after the operations behind the robocalls.

Optional — if you'd rather it was handled for you

To actually cut the volume, a data-removal service files opt-out requests across the brokers selling your number and keeps you off their lists. You can do this by hand for free — the service is worth it because the removals don't stay put.

See data removal →

Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our verdicts. Why we can still be trusted.

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Frequently asked

How can I check if a charity is legitimate?

Look it up before you give. The BBB Wise Giving Alliance publishes free reports at give.org, evaluating charities against 20 accountability standards, and most states require charities and their fundraisers to register with a state regulator you can search. To confirm a donation would be tax-deductible, check the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. If you can't find the exact name anywhere, that's your answer.

The caller asked me to donate with a gift card or wire transfer. Is that ever legitimate?

No. The FTC is explicit: if a charity says the only way to give is by gift card, wire transfer, payment app, or cryptocurrency, it's likely a scam — real charities accept checks and credit cards. Gift cards are for gifts. Hang up, and if you want to help the cause, find a vetted charity at give.org and donate through its own site.

Are charity robocalls legal?

Only in one narrow case: a charity's fundraiser may robocall you if you're a member or a previous donor, and even then it must offer you a way to opt out. A prerecorded donation pitch to someone with no relationship to the charity is breaking FTC telemarketing rules already — which tells you what kind of operation is calling. Hang up and report it.

The caller said I pledged to donate last year, but I don't remember it. What's going on?

That's a known pressure tactic — the FTC warns that scam fundraisers lie about a prior pledge because you're more likely to give if you think you already promised. Don't take their word for it, and don't let caller ID reassure you either, since it can be spoofed to show any name. Hang up and check the charity independently.

I want to help after a disaster — how do I give safely?

Give deliberately, not reactively. Search the cause plus “highly rated charity,” or use the BBB Wise Giving Alliance's lists at give.org, which vets disaster-relief organizations after major events. Then donate by card or check on the charity's own website. Avoid anyone who contacts you first and needs the money by tonight — real relief operations take donations tomorrow too.

Sources

Before Giving to a Charity— Federal Trade Commission
BBB Wise Giving Alliance charity reports— BBB Wise Giving Alliance
Report fraud to the FTC— Federal Trade Commission

A public service

Help protect someone else

Scams spread because people stay quiet about them. If this could have fooled you, it can fool someone you know — a parent, a friend, the family group chat. Passing it on is the easiest good thing you'll do today. It's safe to forward, and stands on its own as a record for a bank or the police.