Is This Charity Legit? Five Checks Before You Give — and the Payment Ask That Ends It

Verify before you give — real charities welcome the checks. The FTC's research path is five free steps: search the name plus “complaint” or “scam,” check the BBB Wise Giving Alliance (give.org) or CharityWatch, confirm “tax-deductible” yourself in the IRS's Tax Exempt Organization Search, and find your state charity regulator through nasconet.org. And one payment ask ends the conversation on the spot: cash, gift card, or wire means scam.

Educational verdict from documented scam patterns — not a live report. For a 0–100 risk score on the exact link in your hand, run the checker.

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Why this question never goes away

The FTC's verification path is five checks, all free. Search the charity's name plus “complaint,” “review,” “rating,” or “scam.” Look up its report and ratings with the BBB Wise Giving Alliance (give.org) or CharityWatch. Confirm “tax-deductible” yourself in the IRS's Tax Exempt Organization Search — bogus groups claim deductibility that doesn't exist. And find your state charity regulator through nasconet.org; most states require charities and their fundraisers to register before asking. The scammer's toolkit is just as documented: pressure to give right now, thanking you for a donation you never made, caller ID spoofed to a local area code, names that sound almost like real charities, vague sentimental claims with no specifics, and sweepstakes “winnings” in exchange for a donation — which is not only a scam, it's illegal. Pay by credit card or check, keep records, and read statements for recurring donations you never agreed to. See red flags? Give to a different charity — there are plenty of worthy ones.

Five red flags — any one is enough

Cash, gift card, or wire as the requested payment — the FTC's conversation-ender.

Pressure to donate right now — rushing is what scammers do.

Thanks for a past donation you never made — a documented trick.

A sound-alike name trading on a real charity's reputation.

Vague, sentimental claims with no specifics — or a “tax-deductible” claim the IRS search can't confirm.

Your next three moves

Verify through a channel you open yourself — run the FTC's free checks before you give: search the charity's name plus “complaint,” “review,” “rating,” or “scam,” look it up with the BBB Wise Giving Alliance (give.org) or CharityWatch, confirm “tax-deductible” yourself in the IRS's Tax Exempt Organization Search, and find your state charity regulator through nasconet.org.

Refuse the ask: no donation by cash, gift card, or wire — the FTC's conversation-ender — and no donation under right-now pressure, to a caller thanking you for a gift you never made, or in exchange for sweepstakes “winnings,” which is not only a scam but illegal.

Report the solicitation at ReportFraud.ftc.gov — and paste any link the fundraiser sent into the $2 instant check for a 0–100 scam risk score. Then give to a different charity; there are plenty of worthy ones.

How do I check whether a charity is legitimate?

Five free checks: search the charity's name plus “complaint,” “review,” “rating,” or “scam”; look up its report with the BBB Wise Giving Alliance (give.org) or CharityWatch; confirm “tax-deductible” yourself in the IRS's Tax Exempt Organization Search; and find your state charity regulator through nasconet.org.

What payment request ends the conversation?

Cash, gift card, or wire — the FTC's line: that's how scammers ask you to pay. Pay by credit card or check, keep records, and read your statements for recurring donations you never agreed to.

A fundraiser thanked me for my past donation — but I never gave. Coincidence?

No — it's a documented trick, meant to lower your guard. So is caller ID spoofed to a local area code and a name that sounds almost like a real charity's.

Is a donation in exchange for sweepstakes winnings legal?

No — it's not only a scam, it's illegal. If you see red flags, give to a different charity; there are plenty of worthy ones.

Sixty seconds of checking beats a four-figure mistake.

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