Day 3 of Fraudmas: Charity Scams That Steal Holiday Kindness
By December 3, 2025
How to give safely when scammers are also asking for donationsThis is the season of generosity and scammers are generous in their efforts to take advantage of that. They know people are feeling charitable, emotional, and ready to give so they use AI to create charities that look completely legitimate and steal your money. |
A real-life trap
You see a Facebook post showing a photo of a child in need with a heartbreaking holiday story.
It includes a donation link. It feels urgent and you want to help, so you donate...and later discover it wasn't a charity at all.
How holiday charity scams work
Fraudsters create:
- Fake websites
- Fake social media pages
- AI-generated emotional stories
- Nearly identical knockoffs of real charities
They might even call you pretending to be well-known nonprofits.
Smart giving this season
1. Look charities up on CharityNavigator.org or BBB Wise Giving Alliance. If they aren’t listed, or have terrible ratings, that’s a sign.
2. Avoid links in posts or emails. Go straight to the official website.
3. Look for transparency. Real charities clearly show things like annual reports, leadership, and financial breakdowns.
4. Beware of urgent demands like “donate now before midnight!” Scammers use panic to get quick money.
The FBI has a great article about these types of scams here: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams/charity-and-disaster-fraud
Stay Topside by taking proactive steps to protect yourself!
Visit our Security Center Sign up for My Cards Notifications
Warning: You Are Leaving This Site.
You are leaving the Topside Federal Credit Union website.
You are being directed to a third-party website.
This link is provided for your convenience. Please note that this third-party website is not controlled by Topside Federal Credit Union or subject to our privacy policy.
Thank you for visiting our site. We hope your visit was informative and enjoyable.
You are about to follow a link to [Link]. To proceed, click 'Continue' below. To remain on this site, click 'Cancel' below.