Don’t Fall for This TikTok Donation Scam
Social media is awash with content that appeals to animal lovers, and scammers are capitalizing on it with campaigns to solicit donations for fake charities. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning users about a new TikTok scam that purports to sell handmade items to raise money for animal shelters.
Here’s how to spot this type of donation scam (and others like it).
What TikTok Donation Scams Look Like
According to the BBB, this TikTok campaign involves videos of seniors making crafts, like cat toys, with background music and a message that goes something like, “Please don’t scroll for 12 seconds to help my failing animal shelter.” The video goes on to explain that they’re selling these items to help fund a cat or other animal shelter (which may also be featured).
The video description includes a link to donate to charity or buy a product, which you will of course never receive, and the funds will not actually be used to help animals in need. The BBB cites a report from its Scam Tracker about a TikTok account run by FlappyBirdUS, though there are likely many other scammers using similar tactics on TikTok and other social media platforms. Note that these videos may be AI-generated or use content stolen from other accounts.
How to spot a donation scam
Scams of all kinds play on emotions — fear, greed, empathy — to get victims to take action, whether that means handing over personal information or donating money to “charitable” causes. If you see content on TikTok or elsewhere that makes you feel something and encourages you to act immediately, resist that urge.
Instead, do your research on the person or organization: Find the name, contact information, and website, and search for the term “scam” to see if anyone has identified it as a scam. You can also search for charities on sites like Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and Give.org, and find their verified social media accounts. If an organization isn’t listed, it doesn’t mean it’s not legitimate, but you should do some digging before making a donation or purchase. Alternatively, consider finding local organizations or mutual aid groups that focus on causes or activities you care about in your area.
You should also look out for signs of AI-generated videos , which are used in many types of scams. However, as we’ve noted , we’re easily swayed by what we want to believe, such as videos of cute animals in need of help, making AI-powered content particularly difficult to spot.
Finally, there are, of course, other variations of donation scams, some of which use social media posts to solicit Venmo donations to fraudulent accounts in the name of legitimate individuals or organizations. The same rules apply to avoid these scams.