Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Media Release

This giving season, Australians are being warned to watch out for fake charity appeals.

The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) is warning that scammers often try to take advantage of our generosity at this time of year, as we celebrate the festive season.

Commissioner Sue Woodward AM said many legitimate charities are running genuine fundraising appeals, and depend on us to donate what we can. However, she said it would be wise to quickly check the Charity Register before donating.

“Financial losses are significant. Scamwatch calculates there has been more than a million dollars lost to reported fake charity scams over the past five years. And that is only what is officially reported,” Ms Woodward said.

“We recommend that if you get a text, email or phone call asking for a donation, just pause for a moment. Don’t click on the link, don’t give your banking details and don’t say your name.

“Instead, go to the ACNC Charity Register on your phone or computer. Check it is a real, registered charity. If it is, you’ll see a website and other contact details. If it’s on the Register, you can be confident that it submits required core information about its work to us as the regulator, so it is transparent and accountable.

“Click through to the charity’s website from the Register, and find out how to donate there. That is certainly safer than clicking on links in unsolicited texts or emails, or providing your details to a caller you don’t know, and who may not be who they say they are.

“We all feel for people who may be struggling with cost of living and other pressures right now. Australian charities are working hard to support people in our community who face hardship. The Register can help here too. It allows you to look up the kind of charity you would like to support, such as those that run food programs, or ones that operate in your local area – or anywhere in Australia.”

Ms Woodward said the ACNC supports GivingTuesday, a global campaign dedicated to generosity.

“We know Australians want to donate to real charities and to genuine charity appeals, if we can. The sector really depends on our generosity to provide people with shelter, food parcels, a festive meal and so much more. We encourage everyone to be generous, but please do a quick check on the Charity Register before you donate,” she said.

The ACNC recommends that before you donate, you:

• Look up a charity’s contact details on the Charity Register
• Click through to the charity’s website from the Register, and find out how to donate there
• Don’t click on links in text messages, social media posts or emails
• Don’t tell callers your banking details, your name or any other personal details

The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) is the national charity regulator, overseeing 60,000 charities on the Charity Register.

Scamwatch, led by the National Anti-scam Centre, has more tips on how to avoid scams.