A disaster compresses the time between seeing suffering and wanting to help.
That is good for legitimate relief organizations.
It is also useful to scammers.
The Federal Trade Commission warns that fraudsters create fake charities or impersonate established organizations after hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, wildfires, and other emergencies. Familiar names, copied logos, photographs, and urgent appeals can make a new donation page look like part of a real relief effort.
See the FTC’s 2026 guidance on disaster charity scams.
The emotional context does some of the scammer’s work
A donation request tied to a tragedy arrives with a ready-made reason not to delay.
People need food now. Families need shelter now. Recovery costs are immediate.
The scam does not have to invent urgency because the event already supplied it.
That is why the FTC recommends researching the organization independently, especially when the request arrives through social media, text, or a newly created site.
Look the charity up through established evaluators such as Give.org or CharityWatch. Find the organization’s official site on your own. If the request came by text, confirm the donation number through that official site rather than trusting the message.
A familiar name is not enough
Impersonation works by borrowing reputation.
A copied Red Cross logo does not create a Red Cross payment destination. A fundraiser shared by a friend is not automatically verified merely because the friend meant well.
Payment method can also reveal trouble. The FTC warns against supposed charities that insist on cash, gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency. Legitimate charities generally provide ordinary payment options and clear information about the organization receiving the funds.
The point is not to become suspicious of generosity.
It is to separate the decision to help from the decision about where the money goes.
A disaster may justify acting quickly.
It does not require donating through the first link that appears in front of you.