What it means
Registration can show that a charity exists, but a scammer may impersonate that genuine name in a social post, text number or near-match domain. A safe donation also requires confirming that the page or payment account belongs to the charity and that its work fits the cause.
A real-world example
A real relief charity appears in a public registry, while a fake fundraiser copies its logo and sends donors to a different card form.
What to do
Find the charity independently, compare its official site and donation instructions, review an evaluator where available, and retain a receipt from the verified payment channel.
The distinction that matters
A newly formed effort is not automatically fraudulent, and an old registration does not prove current effectiveness. Assess transparency, distribution and the recipient. Avoid payment methods that the FTC flags as difficult to recover from when demanded exclusively.
FTC disaster-donation checks
