Fake Charity Scam Reporting

Programs that provide a hotline, website or other mechanisms that people can use to report scams involving fake charities that claim to be collecting donations to help a cause, often real disasters or emergencies such as floods, earthquakes and brushfires, funds for veterans or donations to support the local community, e.g., for firefighters or police, but keep the money they collect for themselves. Scammers may pose as agents of legitimate well-known charities or create their own charity name. Methods of approach may include a telephone call, postcards in the mail, an email message, a social media post, or a door-to-door visitor.