How I Check a Charity Appeal Is Genuine Before I Give
Every autumn, as the poppies start to appear, people get more generous. Collection tins come out, fundraising pages get shared around Facebook, and most of us put our hands in our pockets without thinking twice. Scammers know that. A charity appeal is one of the easiest disguises going, because nobody wants to be the person who questions a good cause.
I served in the Royal Green Jackets, so anything with a cap badge or a poppy on it gets my attention straight away. That is exactly why I check before I give. It takes me about two minutes, and it means my money ends up where I meant it to go. Here is the routine I use, and the one I teach through Kells Security Solutions.
Why Fake Charity Appeals Work So Well
Most scams rely on fear or greed. This one relies on decency. A photo of a wounded soldier, a sad story about a veteran who has fallen on hard times, a countdown to Remembrance Sunday, and a link to donate. It feels rude to hesitate.
The criminals behind these appeals copy real charity names with one word changed, lift photos from genuine posts and set up pages that look the part. They post them into community groups and veterans' groups because they know those are the places people give quickest. I have written about this from a veteran's point of view for CIVVY Magazine, the independent magazine written by veterans for veterans, and the same tricks are aimed at everybody else too.
It also ties in with the social media habits that quietly put people at risk. The more a scammer can see about what you care about, the easier it is to put the right appeal in front of you.
The Two-Minute Check I Do Before I Donate
I never give through a link somebody else has sent me. I close the message, open my browser and look the charity up myself. If it operates in England or Wales, I search the official charity register on GOV.UK. It shows the registered name and number, who the trustees are and what the charity does with its money. Scotland has its own register, run by OSCR, the Scottish Charity Regulator, and Northern Ireland has one as well.
Then I compare. Does the name on the appeal match the register exactly, or is it one word out? Does the charity number on the page belong to that charity? Does the website address on the register match the one I have been sent? A very small charity may not be on the register at all, so if I can't find one I ask who is behind it and give somewhere I can check instead.
My last step is the Fundraising Regulator's directory, which lists the charities that have signed up to its standards for fundraising. It is not a legal requirement, but it is a good sign.
Collection Tins, Doorsteps and Street Collectors
Not every appeal arrives on a screen. Genuine street and door-to-door collectors should be able to show you ID and tell you which charity they are collecting for, and their tin or bucket should be sealed and clearly labelled with the charity's name and registered number. A collector who gets awkward when you ask is telling you something.
If I am not sure, I don't give on the spot. I go home and donate directly through the charity's own website. For the Poppy Appeal, that means going straight to the Royal British Legion myself. The charity still gets the money and the doubt is gone.
The same goes for poppy pins, wristbands and other merchandise sold online. If the seller is not the charity or one of its named partners, there is no guarantee a penny of it reaches the cause.
Fundraising Pages and Posts Shared by Friends
Personal fundraising pages are harder, because there is no register to check. A collection for a named person can be completely genuine, or it can be a stolen photo and an invented story.
So I look at who set the page up and how long it has existed. I ask the person who shared it whether they actually know the family. If the post has come from a friend's account and reads a bit out of character, I ring them, because hijacked accounts are used for exactly this. And I am wary of any appeal that wants a bank transfer to a personal account, a gift card or cryptocurrency. Real charities don't collect that way.
This is worth a conversation with older relatives too. Postal and phone appeals still catch a lot of people out, and I cover how to raise it gently in helping an older parent stay safe online.
If You Think You Have Given to a Fake
Ring your bank straight away on the number on the back of your card. The sooner they know, the better your chance of getting the money back. Then report it to Report Fraud (the service that replaced Action Fraud), or to Police Scotland on 101 if you are in Scotland. I have set out the other places worth telling in where I actually report a scam, and the main reporting links are all in one place on my Safety Toolkit.
Tell the real charity as well if its name has been used, and warn the group where you saw the appeal. There is no shame in being caught out by this one. It works because you were trying to do something kind.
Keep Giving, Just Check First
None of this is a reason to stop giving. Genuine charities need the support, and a real one will never mind you checking. Look it up yourself, match the name and number, and donate through the charity's own website. That is the whole routine.
If you would like the full set of checks on one page, sign up for my free online safety checklist. And if you want the bigger picture, my book Spot the Scam explains the ten cons most likely to catch you out, in plain English.
You can read more about me and why I do this, and if you have had an appeal you are not sure about, get in touch and I will take a look.