NY FBI Warns Donors of Increased Charity Fraud Related to Israel-Hamas War

Rockland Daily Staff

The New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning the public that scammers are hard at work soliciting fake humanitarian donations during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. 

Charity scams increase during natural disasters, epidemics, and wars. Scammers use these tragedies to exploit those looking to support humanitarian efforts. Disaster fraudsters often claim to be associated with established charities, or they create new charities associated with emergent conflicts. 

Criminals claim that they are collecting funds for victimized families abroad while using donations for personal expenses or in support of criminal enterprises domestically or internationally. Foreign terrorist organizations often establish fake charities using social media platforms to subsidize their operations. Solicitations may begin as a social media post, an email, a cold call, or a crowdfunding website request.

Common red flags indicating possible fraudulent activity include unsolicited emails seeking donations. If looking to fund a charity, visit the website directly rather than clicking on links in emails. Charities asking you to pay with cash, gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency are also huge red flags, as criminals will often encourage payment by methods that make it difficult to track or seek reimbursement. 

To avoid charity fraud, research new charities online and verify phone numbers or email addresses before donating.

If you believe you are giving to an established charity, make sure to check you are using the correct website, as disaster fraudsters often engage in “domain spoofing” or “URL hijacking” to create look-alike websites with URLs similar to known organizations. Additionally, donors can use the Internal Revenue Service’s website to see if the charity is registered. 

If you notice a charity scam, report it via the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, 1-800-CALL-FBI, or FBI New York at 212-384-1000. 

Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90