Disaster Relief Scams via PayPal
Fake disaster relief campaigns collect PayPal donations for crises that either do not need the funds or do not exist, pocketing contributions meant for genuine victims.
Part of: Disaster Relief Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
PayPal's ubiquity as a donation channel makes it the natural home for fake disaster relief scams. Within hours of a high-profile flood, earthquake, or conflict, fraudulent fundraisers appear under convincing names, collecting PayPal donations before the platform can identify and remove them.
The emotional urgency of disasters reduces the time donors take to verify a campaign. By the time a fraudulent PayPal fundraiser is shut down, the operator has often already withdrawn the collected funds to a linked bank account.
How this scam works on PayPal
A fundraiser page on a crowdfunding platform or a direct PayPal.me link is shared virally on social media using images and video from genuine news coverage of a disaster. The organiser collects donations for days before the campaign is reported and removed.
Email campaigns styled to look like official communications from well-known aid organisations direct recipients to a PayPal payment link that belongs to a fraudulent personal account rather than the charity.
Some scammers create a near-identical copy of a genuine charity's donation page, including the charity's logo and registered number, but replace the payment destination with a fraudulent PayPal account.
Common red flags
- Fundraiser was created in the hours or days immediately following the disaster
- PayPal payment destination is a personal account rather than a verified charity business account
- Charity name or branding differs slightly from the genuine organisation
- Images used are identifiable as news photos rather than original campaign documentation
- The campaign has a large number of shares but no independent media coverage
- Organiser profile is newly created or shows no verifiable personal information
How to protect yourself
- Donate only through verified charity websites navigated to directly, not through forwarded links
- Check that the PayPal recipient account is registered as a business tied to the charity's registered name
- Verify the charity's registration on your national charity regulator's database
- Allow time for established relief organisations to activate their campaigns rather than donating to brand-new fundraisers
- Report suspect fundraisers to PayPal and the platform hosting them
- Share verified donation links rather than unverified campaign links with friends and family
How to report it
- Report the fraudulent fundraiser to PayPal's Resolution Centre
- Alert the impersonated charity so they can warn their donors
- Report to your national charity regulator and cybercrime authority
Frequently asked questions
How long do fake disaster relief PayPal campaigns typically run before being removed?
Fraudulent campaigns can run anywhere from a few hours to several days depending on how quickly they are reported and how aggressively the platform monitors post-disaster fundraising spikes. Established charities are the safest choice in the immediate aftermath of any disaster.