How to check if a charity is real

Key points:

• Giving Tuesday, held December 3, 2024, is an international campaign that encourages Australians to ‘give, collaborate and celebrate generosity’ rather than purchase material items
• The Commissioner of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Sue Woodward praised Australians’ giving nature but highlighted the reality of charity scams
• Older Australians reported approximately $71,081,400 dollars in losses this year due to scams according to the latest data from Scamwatch

Experts warn older Australians to be wary of charity scams this Giving Tuesday to ensure that if you donate to charity, your money goes to help people in need instead of scammers.

Giving Tuesday, a not-for-profit campaign, holds an annual day of consumerism awareness of the same name on December 3, 2024. Giving Tuesday encourages people to ‘give, collaborate and celebrate generosity’ rather than purchase material items in the fight against consumerism.

Commissioner of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Sue Woodward praised Australians for their desire to help others but warned they should exhibit caution to ensure they don’t become charity scam victims.

“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,” she said.

“We encourage everyone to be generous, but please do a quick check on the Charity Register before you donate.

“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.” 

Older Australians lost approximately $71,081,400 dollars to scammers, equating to more than 30 percent of all reported losses by Australians, in the first nine months of 2024.

Commissioner Woodward encouraged Australians to take extra precautions when donating to ensure their good nature is not taken for granted.

“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,” she said.

Visit the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission’s Charity Register to search for registered charities supporting animals or people in Australia and overseas.

By using the search functions, you can filter the results based on the charity’s size, who they help and where they operate. Additionally, charities with revoked registration can be identified on the Charity Register.

Commissioner Woodward emphasised the importance of being vigilant when helping Australians in need through charity websites. 

“We all feel for people who may be struggling with [the] cost of living and other pressures right now. Australian charities are working hard to support people in our community who face hardship,” she said.

“The [charity] 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.”

Council on the Ageing Australia Chief Executive Officer Patricia Sparrow previously commented on the group of Australians most commonly impacted by scams.

“Older Australians are the group most at risk of scams and the only demographic to see an increase in losses to scams. We can’t afford to sit back and allow scammers to target older Australians any longer,” she said.

Older Australians reported approximately 49,700 scams in 2024, with the top contact methods being email and text messages.

In addition to charity scams, older Australians should be wary of other types of scams, including aged care provider scams. In these scams, a criminal pretends to be an aged care provider to steal money from you. 

The Department of Health and Aged Care has provided ways to protect yourself from being a target of aged care provider scams including:

• not clicking on links or sending money unless you are sure the message is from your aged care provider;
• contacting your aged care provider using a number you’ve found yourself to check if the aged care provider was trying to contact you; and
• calling your aged care provider to ensure you have the correct details before sending money.

Read more about protecting yourself from scams all year round by visiting this Aged Care Guide: being wary of scams and sharing your personal information.

If you think you’ve been scammed, visit ScamWatch and complete the form. Additionally, you may need to file a police report if you have lost money through a scammer.

Instead of donating money, other ways to help other Australians this Christmas include donating items to food banks, volunteering or buying toys for children in need.

Alternatively, if you want to donate to charities after you’ve passed away, you can leave a gift to specific organisations in your will. 

As with any bequests in your will, leaving money to a charity must be worded to ensure no misunderstandings occur and that your wishes will be followed. 

The Australian Red Cross provides recommendations on how to write bequests, depending on how much of your estate you’d like to donate or if you’d prefer to donate a specific sum.

If you know exactly how much you’d like to leave to a charity in your will, you could use the following template from the Australian Red Cross:

‘I give to [charity name and its Australian Business Number], for its general purposes, free of all duties, the sum of $_________ for which an authorised receipt from [charity name] will be a sufficient discharge for the executor(s) or trustee.’

Get your will checked by a solicitor or public trustee to ensure your wishes are accurately written in your will, a legal document that is part of advance care planning.

Advance care planning means that you can highlight your wishes for your health care when you are older, even if you become unable to make legal decisions later in life.

Visit your state or territory’s Public Trustee office website for more information:

• NSW Trustee and Guardian;
• Queensland Public Trustee;
• Public Trustee SA;
• Victoria State Trustees;
• Public Trustee of NT;
• Public Trustees TAS;
• Public Trustee WA; and
• ACT Public Trustee and Guardian.

Learn more about how to begin your advance care planning in this Aged Care Guide.

What steps will you take to protect yourself against scams this giving season?

Let the team at Talking Aged Care know on social media. 

For more information and news in the aged care industry, subscribe to our free newsletter. 

Relevant content:

At 94 years, one South Aussie man completes his sixth skydive

Barossa Park Lodge celebrates 10th anniversary with residents

Australian Government passes new Aged Care Act in Parliament