untrappable

GoFundMe scam: is that fundraiser or message real?

Editorially reviewed · Last updated August 6, 2026

Yes — this is a scam. A message that asks you to pay a fee, accept an individual donation, or share banking details is a GoFundMe scam pattern.

Your fundraiser has a donor match waiting
G
GoFundMe Support
support@gofundme-helpdesk.com
8:14 AM
Your fundraiser has been selected for a large donor match. To release it, confirm your bank details and pay the service fee at gofundme-donor-match.com/release
Release donor match
The Email, as received

Other versions you might get: A fake donor offers a large contribution, someone offers to run or withdraw fundraiser money for a service fee, or a message impersonates a beneficiary, donor, organization, or GoFundMe employee. A spoofed sign-in page can use the same story to collect your login or payment details.

What to do right now

  1. Don't reply, pay a fee, accept an individual donation, or share banking details. Save the message and fundraiser URL first.
  2. Open GoFundMe yourself. Type gofundme.com or use the app and check the fundraiser or account without using the message's link.
  3. Report the fundraiser or message. Use GoFundMe's report form and send suspicious messages to accountsecurity@gofundme.com.
  4. If you clicked or entered information, secure the account. Change your GoFundMe and email passwords, turn on multi-factor authentication, and monitor your bank and account alerts.
  5. If money moved, act quickly. Contact the bank, card issuer, or payment company and ask whether the payment can be reversed, then report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

How to make sure it never bites you

A fake donor or refund contact may return after the first message. Keep using GoFundMe's official site and reporting route, and do not pay anyone who promises to recover a donation for an upfront fee.

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Stop the next one at the source

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Frequently asked

Does GoFundMe ask you to pay a fee to receive donations?
Treat that request as a scam warning. GoFundMe's fraud guidance lists offers to guarantee a fundraiser goal or release a large donation in exchange for a service fee or personal or bank details as suspicious, and says GoFundMe will not ask you to accept an individual donation.
How can I tell if a GoFundMe email is real?
Check the address and the destination yourself. GoFundMe says official emails come from @gofundme.com and its official site is www.gofundme.com. Do not sign in through a link in an unexpected message; open the site or app yourself.
Someone says they will make a large donation if I share bank details. Is that real?
No. A large-donation promise tied to personal or bank information, a service fee, or a private payment route is a scam pattern. Do not send the details; check the fundraiser through GoFundMe yourself and report the message.
I clicked a GoFundMe link and entered information. What now?
Open GoFundMe and your email account yourself, change both passwords, turn on multi-factor authentication, and monitor your bank and account alerts. If money moved or payment details were exposed, contact the payment provider and ask about a reversal, then report the scam to the FTC.
How do I report a fake GoFundMe fundraiser?
Use GoFundMe's Report a fundraiser form. Send suspicious messages to accountsecurity@gofundme.com, and report financial loss or an attempted scam at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Related scams

Sources

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.