Scammers are increasingly impersonating real charities to take advantage of people’s generosity and compassion over recent years, and there has been an increase in charity scams relating to COVID-19 over recent months.
A charity scam involves being contacted by somebody claiming to be from a charity. Contact can be made by phone, mail, email, or face-to-face.
Before you donate to any charity you should check if they are a registered charity on the Australian Government’s Australian Charities and Non-for-profit Register website. You can ensure your donation is going to a legitimate charity by phoning them directly or by making a donation via their website.
Please be aware that the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) will never ring you and ask you to buy raffle tickets or to donate money to AFDO over the phone.
You can find more information on scams on the Scam Watch website, and you can report a scam here.
