Historically, fake charity scams tend to peak during the months of December and January, warns Andrew Leigh MP, Assistant Minister for Charities, Competition, and Treasury – but there are a range of precautions Australians can take to avoid being scammed.

While Dr Leigh says the government encourages Australians to be generous in supporting charities, it’s important to remain vigilant against fraudulent charity scams.

Precautions to take before making donations:

• Look for well-established, registered charities conducting verified fundraising campaigns.
• Conduct a brief check to confirm if the organisation is listed on the Charity Register of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, and gather information about its activities.
• Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails and social media posts that may lead to counterfeit or scam websites. Instead, locate the charity’s official website through a search engine or on the Charity Register.
• Exercise caution when sharing credit card and bank account details online or through social media.
• If you receive a call purporting to be from a charity, inform them that you will call back. Verify the legitimacy of the call by checking the Charity Register and calling back using the listed number.

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