Who: The FTC collects reports of charity and crowdfunding fraud.
When to use: Use when a campaign was fake or misused funds.
What to prepare:
- Campaign link
- Organizer
- Amount if given
FTC ReportFraud~5 min
Category: Prizes & charity
Bogus crowdfunding campaign
How it often plays out
A crowdfunding page asks for donations for a disaster, medical emergency, or cause. The organizer is fake or keeps the money. Scammers use real tragedies and fake profiles to get donations that never reach victims. Before giving to a crowdfunding campaign, verify the organizer and, when possible, the beneficiary. Be cautious with newly created accounts and campaigns that pressure you to give immediately.
How to spot it
Common red flags: pressure to act immediately, requests for payment by gift card or wire, offers that seem too good to be true, or unsolicited requests for your personal or financial details.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Verify the campaign through the platform and, when possible, the beneficiary.
- Report suspicious or fraudulent campaigns to the platform and the FTC.
- Be cautious with newly created accounts.
Don't
- Donate under pressure or to campaigns you cannot verify.
- Assume the organizer and beneficiary are legitimate.
- Give without checking if the campaign or organizer is real.
Summary & what to do
Fake crowdfunding campaigns on GoFundMe-style sites collect money for causes that do not exist or that the organizer keeps. Verify campaigns and report fraud to the platform and FTC.
What to do right now
- Verify the campaign through the platform and, when possible, the beneficiary. Be cautious with newly created accounts.
- Report suspicious or fraudulent campaigns to the platform (e.g. GoFundMe) and the FTC.
- If you donated to a fake campaign, report to the FTC.
Where to report
Who: Report to the crowdfunding platform (e.g. GoFundMe) so they can take action.
When to use: Use to report the specific campaign.
What to prepare:
- Campaign URL
- What you know
Build your knowledge: Recommended reading — books & free websites on financial literacy and fraud awareness