Holiday Donation Scams: Fake Charities & Sob Stories

Some choose to donate their time by volunteering at food shelters, some choose to open their homes to those who don't have loved-ones nearby, and some choose to give financial gifts to charities and individuals who have experienced hard times. Sadly, scammers and criminals take advantage of those with big hearts, leaving them with big losses.

Learn about the most common holiday donation scams and find out how to stay safe online.

Key Takeaways

Fake Charity Scams Are Everywhere: Scammers set up fake charity websites or copy real ones to steal both your money and payment details. Be cautious of clickbait ads and phishing emails asking for donations.
Heartbreaking Stories Can Be Fake: Social media is full of sob stories, but not all of them are real. Scammers exploit emotions by pretending to need help for medical bills, pets, or homelessness, only to pocket the money.
Verify Before Donating: Research charities before giving, check their mailing addresses, and confirm bank transactions to ensure donations go where intended. Be wary of requests to send money overseas.
Watch Out for Unsolicited Requests: Never donate over the phone if you didn't initiate the call. If someone contacts you online asking for money, verify their identity before sending anything.
Stay Alert Online: Use browsing protection tools to avoid scam websites and double-check social media stories before contributing. Look for signs of legitimacy, such as real interactions and verified sources.

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What are Common Holiday Donation Scams?

Fake Charities

A fake charity scam is one where criminals either create a fake copy of a website belonging to a well-known charity or create a phony charity of their own. They create clickbait ads and send phishing emails leading unsuspecting victims to their website, where they can then steal both the payment that was intended to go to charity and the payment method used.

Sob Stories on Social Media

A sob story is a sentimental story or account intended chiefly to evoke sympathy or sadness [^1] . Social media and fundraising platforms make it very simple for people to share their stories and request support. The problem comes when scammers capitalize on this and post fake heartbreaking stories asking for help. This brings out the empathetic nature of potential victims who then donate to help.

Source: Pet Dog Fake Sob Story

There have been countless stories where fraudsters pretend to raise money to help the homeless, pets, fund an upcoming surgery or cover living expenses during recovery, but the truth later comes out that there was never a "need" for help and the fraudster used those funds to line their own pockets. With the holidays around the corner, the chances to encounter sob stories are much higher, as they intend to play on innocent people's holiday spirit.

Supporting causes you believe in is admirable, and we encourage donating and helping others. Just be careful where you send your money to ensure that your money goes to the charity or cause of your choice and not a scammer instead.

How to Avoid Fake Charities & Sob Stories:

Don't make donations over the phone, especially if you weren't the one who initiated the call.
Do your research by reading about the organization, what they do, and who is involved.
When mailing a check, do a quick online search to ensure that the requested mailing address matches the address of the organization.
Requests to transfer money overseas should raise a red flag and should never be honored if the charity headquarters isn't primarily located overseas.
Check your bank statements. Look for the donation transaction to ensure that it matches the charity of your choice. If you intended to make a one-time donation, make sure that the donation wasn't entered as a recurring donation instead, by checking your bank statements for the next couple of months afterward.
Use a browsing protection tool like Guardio that will warn you about scams and fraud sites before entering them.
If a person you don't know contacted you via social media or email with a sad story asking for money - ignore it. If someone you do know contacts you online to ask for help, call them on the telephone to ensure that it was really them and that their account wasn't hacked or cloned.
When you come across a story that touched your heart, look at the people who posted the story, the comments, and try to search for evidence that the story is true.

Pro Tip: Use "Reverse Image Search" to Catch Fake Charity Scams

Scammers often use stolen or stock photos to add credibility to fake charity websites or sob stories. A simple reverse image search can expose their deception.

Save the image from the charity's website, social media post, or fundraiser page.
Use Google Images or TinEye to upload the image and search where else it appears online.
Look for mismatches—if the image shows up in unrelated contexts (e.g., a different country, old news articles, or multiple fundraisers), it's likely fraudulent.
Check official sources—if a charity is real, its images should primarily appear on its official website and legitimate news outlets, not random blogs or forums.

Scammers count on emotional reactions, but a 30-second image search can save you from sending money to fraudsters. Stay smart before you donate!

Conclusion

While the holiday season inspires generosity and kindness, it also presents opportunities for scammers to exploit well-intentioned individuals. Fake charities and fabricated sob stories prey on emotions, leading to financial losses and diverting funds from legitimate causes. To ensure your donations make a real impact, always research charities and verify fundraising claims.