Scams going around · Phone calls

Fake charity donation scam

Pretends to be a charity with a name that sounds like one you know. A caller, letter or text asks you to give to a charity right away, and may thank you for a pledge you never made. The goal is to get you to pay a scammer. They often ask for cash, a gift card, or a wire transfer (sending money through a company like Western Union). They may also ask for a payment app (a phone app for sending money, like Venmo or Cash App) or cryptocurrency (digital money).

An example of what it can look like

Not a real message: the details are made up.

Caller ID: (202) 555-0143
Hi, this is Dan calling for the Example Kids Fund. Thank you so much for your pledge last year! Families are counting on you this holiday season. Can you renew your gift today? It's tax-deductible. The quickest way is a gift card, or I can text you a payment link: kids-fund-gift.example

How to tell

They thank you for a donation or pledge you don't remember making.
They rush you to give right now, before you have time to look into it.
They ask you to pay by gift card, cash, or wire transfer (sending money through a company like Western Union). Or they want a payment app (a phone app for sending money) or cryptocurrency (digital money).
The name sounds almost like a charity you know, and the story is emotional but short on details about how your money is used.
The caller ID shows a local number or a charity's name. Caller ID can be faked, so it doesn't prove who is calling.

What to do

Don't give during the call. Say you'll look into it, and hang up.
Write down the charity's exact name. Then search for it online with words like "complaint," "review" or "scam."
If you want to give, go to the charity yourself, through its own website. Don't use a link or number from the call or message.
If you decide to give, use a check or credit card. Don't pay with a gift card, cash, wire transfer (like Western Union), a payment app (like Venmo or Cash App), or cryptocurrency (digital money).
After you give, check your bank and credit card statements. Make sure you were charged only what you agreed to, and that you weren't signed up for a repeat donation.

If you already tapped, paid, called or replied

Paid by card, bank transfer or Zelle? Call your bank or card company right away, and ask for your money back. For a card, use the number on the back.
Paid with a gift card? Call the number on the back of the gift card right away. Say a scammer tricked you, and ask for your money back. Keep the card, and the receipt if you have it.
Used a payment app, like Venmo or Cash App? Or a wire transfer company, like Western Union or MoneyGram? Report it to that company right away, and ask for your money back.
Paid with cryptocurrency (digital money)? Contact the company you used right away. That may be a cryptocurrency exchange (an app or website that sells it) or a cryptocurrency ATM (a machine that trades cash for it). Tell them it was a fraud. Ask them to reverse it and give your money back.
Mailed cash? Call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service right away at 1-877-876-2455. For a fee, they can redirect a package inside the US that hasn't been delivered yet.

How to check for real

Look up the charity's exact name yourself. Then contact it through its own website, not a number or link the caller gave you. Ask whether it called you or has a record of your pledge. To see whether a gift would be tax-deductible, look the charity up in the IRS's Tax Exempt Organization Search tool.

Where to report it

The FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Your state charity regulator (the state office that oversees charities), which you can find at nasconet.org

Free guides that go with this

Check a message you got, free · Check a link

Where this comes from

Written from these official warnings, checked 2026-09-25. Lantern is not part of any organization named on this page.