War / Refugee-Relief Donation Scam
Fake humanitarian appeals tied to wars or refugee crises collect 'donations,' often in crypto, that never reach anyone in need.
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What this scam is
During conflicts and refugee crises, scammers pose as aid groups or on-the-ground volunteers and solicit urgent donations, frequently in crypto to move money fast and irreversibly. Emotional images and time pressure drive giving before verification. The money enriches the scammer. Legitimate aid organizations are verifiable and do not depend on urgent crypto donations from strangers.
What it usually looks like
- Urgent war/refugee appeals from unverifiable groups.
- Requests to donate in crypto.
- Emotional images and time pressure.
- Vague details about the organization.
Common warning signs
- Crypto donation requests for 'aid.'
- Pressure to give immediately.
- Unverifiable organizations or 'volunteers.'
- Reused or generic crisis imagery.
Example wording scammers use
“Families are fleeing the war — send crypto now to get them to safety tonight.”
“We're on the ground delivering aid; donate to our wallet to help immediately.”
These are illustrative examples written by ScamSplain, not real messages.
What the scammers want
- Irreversible crypto donations.
- To exploit crisis urgency.
- Your card or wire funds.
What to do
- Verify aid groups before donating (Charity Navigator, BBB).
- Give through official websites, not crypto wallets from strangers.
- Ignore urgency and do your own check.
- Support well-known relief organizations.
What to do if you already responded
- Crypto donations are usually unrecoverable; preserve records.
- Dispute a card donation if fraudulent.
- Report at reportfraud.ftc.gov.