Cyber Safety and Charity Scams — How to Protect Your Family, Your Kids, and Your Nonprofit

By Shaana Dionne — President & Founder, WealthyKids.org | Sarah Associates

WealthyKids.org | In Partnership with Connected Nation | Powered by AT&T

Every year, generous families lose money to scammers who prey on kindness. Every year, kids are targeted online by people who know exactly how to earn their trust. And every year, small nonprofits — the ones doing real work in real communities — get impersonated, hacked, or defrauded by criminals who know that trust is the easiest thing in the world to exploit.

At WealthyKids.org, we sit at the intersection of all three. We are a family. We work with kids. And we run a nonprofit. So this guide is not theoretical — it is what we teach our own team, our own volunteers, and our own kids. Here is how to protect your family, your kids, and your nonprofit from cyber safety threats and charity scams.

🛡️ Why Charity Scams Target Families Like Yours

Charity scams work because they borrow real trust. Scammers copy the names, logos, and stories of real causes — disaster relief, sick children, veterans, animal rescue — because those causes already have your sympathy built in. After any major news event, fake charities appear within hours, built specifically to catch people who want to help right now, before they stop to check.

Families with kids are especially targeted because kids’ causes — school fundraisers, youth sports, pediatric charities — are some of the most emotionally effective covers scammers use. That makes it even more important that both parents and kids know how to slow down and verify before giving.

✅ How to Verify a Charity Before You Give

• Look the organization up at charitynavigator.org or give.org before donating — both are free
• Go directly to the charity’s official website by typing the address yourself, rather than clicking a link in an email, text, or social post
• Never donate with gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or Zelle — legitimate charities do not ask for these
• Be skeptical of urgency (“donate in the next hour”) — real charities do not pressure you on a countdown
• Ask exactly how your donation will be used, and be wary if the answer is vague
• If a caller or emailer claims to represent a charity you already support, hang up and call the charity back using the number on its official website

👶 Protecting Your Kids Online

• Teach kids that anyone can pretend to be anyone online — a friendly stranger, a fellow gamer, or even a “kid” their own age may not be who they say they are
• Keep gaming, social, and messaging accounts set to private, and review friend/follower lists together regularly
• Talk openly about in-game purchases, “free” giveaways, and links shared in chat — these are common ways kids are scammed or exposed to malware
• Set the expectation that kids come to you immediately if someone online asks for personal information, photos, or money — and that they will never be in trouble for telling you
• Use parental controls as a safety net, not a substitute for conversation
• Remind kids that a real charity, school, or program will never ask them personally to send money or gift cards

🔒 Protecting Your Family’s Identity and Finances

• Use a different, long password for every account, and turn on two-factor authentication everywhere it’s offered
• Freeze your family’s credit at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — it’s free and prevents new accounts being opened in anyone’s name
• Check bank and credit card statements weekly, and set up transaction alerts
• Never give out a Social Security number unless it is absolutely required, and verify who is asking first
• Avoid public Wi-Fi for anything involving banking, shopping, or personal information
• If something feels off — an urgent email, an unexpected “prize,” a stranger asking for money — pause and verify before acting

🏗️ Protecting Your Nonprofit or Community Organization

Nonprofits are a favorite target for scammers — smaller organizations often run lean, with volunteers handling finances and communications, and that can leave gaps criminals are quick to find. If you lead, volunteer for, or support a nonprofit, here is how to keep it safe:

• Watch for impersonation. Scammers create fake social pages or emails using a real nonprofit’s name and logo to solicit “donations” that never reach the organization. Monitor your organization’s name online and report impersonators to the platform immediately
• Lock down financial controls. Require two people to approve any transfer, never let one person control both the books and the bank account, and review statements monthly as a board or leadership team
• Protect donor data. Donor names, emails, and payment information are valuable to criminals — store them only in secure, reputable donation platforms, and never email spreadsheets containing donor payment details
• Beware of vendor and invoice fraud. Scammers impersonate real vendors or board members by email, asking for an urgent wire transfer or a changed payment address — always verify by phone using a known number before paying
• Train your volunteers. Everyone who touches your organization’s email, social media, or finances should know the same red flags in this guide — a scam only needs one untrained volunteer to get through
• Use official channels only. Route all real donations through your verified website and payment processor, and make that clear in every appeal so donors know what to expect

🚨 Red Flags of a Charity Scam

• Pressure to give immediately, especially outside of normal channels
• Requests for gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency — no legitimate charity asks for these
• A name that sounds almost like a well-known charity but isn’t quite right
• Vague answers about how donations are used or where the organization is registered
• Unsolicited contact claiming you already pledged a donation you don’t remember making
• A “too good to be true” hook, like a guaranteed prize for donating

🔐 If You’ve Been Scammed — What to Do Right Now

• Change your passwords immediately, starting with email and financial accounts
• Call your bank or card issuer right away if any financial information was shared
• Report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
• Report cybercrime to the FBI at ic3.gov
• If your identity was stolen, start your recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov
• If your nonprofit was impersonated or defrauded, notify your bank, your board, and your donors as soon as possible — transparency protects trust
• Tell someone you trust. You are not alone, and you are not at fault

---

Staying safe online is not about being afraid of the internet. It is about being smart on it — as a family, as kids, and as an organization working to do good.

Want the quick, printable version? Read our Quick Cyber Safety Guide.

Want to help teach others? Join Teens Teach Tech and learn how to sign up and earn while you teach.

Questions? Contact us at info@wealthykids.org

— Shaana Dionne | President & Founder | WealthyKids.org | Sarah Associates | Anaheim, CA | In Partnership with Connected Nation | Powered by AT&T