Scammers exploiting your generosity — using fake disaster relief funds, fake veterans’ charities, fake police and firefighter foundations, and fake religious organizations. They prey on the kindest impulse you have. Maryland requires charities to register with the Secretary of State — a five-second check that defeats most charity scams.
How This Scam Works
A caller, mailer, or email solicits a donation for a charity that sounds familiar. They use names almost identical to real, well-known charities — “Wounded Veterans Association of America” instead of “Wounded Warrior Project.” “American Cancer Foundation” instead of “American Cancer Society.” “Police Officers Survivors Fund” instead of any real organization.
These scams surge after natural disasters (hurricanes, wildfires, floods), tragedies (school shootings, terror attacks), and during the holiday giving season. Scammers create fake websites with photos of suffering people, set up fake donation forms, and place high-pressure phone calls.
Some legitimate-looking solicitations come from “professional fundraisers” who keep up to 90% of every dollar donated as their fee. Even when the cause is technically real, only a tiny fraction actually reaches the people you intended to help.
Maryland law requires almost all charities soliciting donations in the state to register with the Maryland Secretary of State’s Charitable Organizations Division. You can verify any charity in five seconds at sos.maryland.gov/Charity. If a charity is not registered, do not donate.
What They Actually Say
Note the engineering: a name that sounds official, an emotional cause (fallen officers), a flattering implication that you have donated before, a specific small amount ($50) that does not feel like a big risk, and pressure to donate “tonight” by phone before you have time to verify.
The Five-Second Check That Stops This Scam
Three free websites will tell you in seconds whether a charity is real:
1. Maryland Secretary of State Charitable Organizations: sos.maryland.gov/Charity — Search by name. Must be registered to legally solicit in Maryland.
2. IRS Tax-Exempt Organization Search: apps.irs.gov/app/eos — Confirms a charity is a real 501(c)(3) and your donation would be tax-deductible.
3. Charity Navigator or GuideStar: Shows you what percentage of donations actually reaches the cause vs. fundraising fees and overhead.
If you cannot find the charity on at least the Maryland Secretary of State site or the IRS site, it is almost certainly a scam.
What To Do · What To Never Do
After You Hang Up
This guide covers one of 222 documented scams targeting Maryland’s older adults. Every variant we track lives in the encyclopedia, searchable by name, situation, or what they said to you.
Browse the Full Maryland Scam Encyclopedia →