How do I know if a church giving or tithing app is a real link to my church or a cloned scam site?
Only give through a link or app confirmed directly by your church's official staff or printed materials, since cloned giving pages that closely copy a real church's branding are increasingly used to redirect donations to a scammer's account.
Last reviewed: 5 July 2026
Explanation
As churches increasingly use online giving platforms for tithes and offerings, scammers have started building cloned versions of these giving pages that copy the church's name, logo, and color scheme closely enough to look legitimate at a glance. These clone pages are typically distributed through fake social media posts, comment sections under a church's real posts, search engine ads that outrank the real site, or QR codes placed where they can be scanned by unsuspecting members, such as printed inserts left in a real church bulletin.
Because the visual branding matches, and because the request is consistent with something a member already intends to do, namely give to their church, the clone page often does not trigger the suspicion that a completely unrelated scam would. Donations made through the clone go to an account controlled by the scammer and are not received by the church at all, and the member typically only discovers the problem when the church has no record of the gift, sometimes months later at tax time.
Churches can reduce this risk by consistently using one verified giving platform and communicating its exact web address clearly and repeatedly, while members can protect themselves by always navigating to giving pages directly from the church's own verified website or app rather than from search results, social media links, or unfamiliar QR codes.
Common red flags
- The giving link was found via a search ad, social media comment, or an unfamiliar QR code rather than the church's own verified materials
- The web address is slightly different from the church's known official domain
- The page asks for unusual payment methods like gift cards or cryptocurrency for tithing
- There is no confirmation email or receipt after giving, or the receipt looks unlike the church's normal format
- Church staff have no record of your donation when you inquire
What to do now
- Always access your church's giving page by typing its known web address directly or from the official church app
- Confirm the exact giving link and domain with church staff if you received it from any other source
- Check your bank or card statement to confirm the payment went to the church's actual name, not an unfamiliar entity
- Report any suspicious giving links found in comments or ads to the church and to the platform hosting them
- If you gave through a clone site, contact your bank immediately to dispute the charge
Frequently asked questions
Are QR codes for church giving generally unsafe?
QR codes distributed directly by the church, such as printed in an official bulletin handed out during a service, are generally fine, but a QR code encountered elsewhere, like a flyer of unknown origin, should be verified before use since it can silently redirect to a clone page.