Most donations reach legitimate causes, but fraud often succeeds by copying trusted names and creating urgency. A two-minute check protects both your money and the organization being impersonated.
Three checks before paying
Does the organization exist? Confirm its legal name, tax code and official website. Check RUNTS when a Third Sector status is claimed.
Is this the official channel? Type the website address yourself or start from a trusted directory, then inspect the destination domain.
Is the payment traceable? Prefer bank transfer, card or an established payment provider and keep the receipt.
Warning signs
Pause if someone demands secrecy, instant payment, gift cards, phone credit or cryptocurrency; refuses to identify the recipient; uses a look-alike domain; or sends payment details that do not match the organization. Emotion is not evidence.
Crowdfunding and social platforms
Check who created the campaign, who receives the money, what fees apply and whether the named organization confirms the fundraiser on its own channels. A real story can still be attached to an unauthorized collection.
If you think you were deceived
Contact your bank or card provider immediately, preserve screenshots, messages and receipts, report the page to the platform and contact the relevant police authority. Italy’s online police information service publishes guidance on online fraud.
Find the organization through the directory, but always complete payment on its verified official channel.
