---
title: "How do I know if a charity appeal is a scam?"
description: "Check the charity number yourself on the Charity Commission, OSCR or CCNI register — not via the appeal’s link."
source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/answers/is-charity-appeal-scam
retrieved: 2026-08-18T00:47:54.112Z
license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0"
---

Checking a charity

# How do I know if a charity appeal is a scam?

**In short:** Check the charity number yourself on the Charity Commission, OSCR or CCNI register — not via the appeal’s link. Refuse urgency, never pay to a personal account or with gift cards, and donate only through the charity’s official website.

Data from [CharityCompare editorial](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 12 August 2026.

Scam appeals borrow familiarity and urgency. The decisive habit is independent verification of the **charity number**, then payment on a channel you typed yourself.

- Search the name or number on [CharityCompare](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity-directory) or the official register for that nation — not the link in the message.

- Match the registered name to the appeal. Lookalikes and “emergency” pages are common around disasters and Christmas.

- Never pay a personal account, gift cards, or crypto wallet. Give through the charity’s own site.

- Street and doorstep collectors should be able to show which charity they represent. See [doorstep collectors](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/answers/doorstep-charity-collectors).

A registered charity can still be poorly run. Registration answers “does this organisation exist?” Clarity Score answers “does it account for money clearly?” Full patterns: [charity scams and fake appeals](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/charity-scams-and-fake-appeals).

## Related questions

- [→ How do I check a CCNI Northern Ireland charity number?](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/answers/ccni-charity-check)
- [→ Are charity collection bags through my door genuine?](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/answers/charity-collection-bags)
- [→ Are doorstep charity collectors legit?](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/answers/doorstep-charity-collectors)
- [→ How do I know if a UK charity is financially transparent?](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/answers/financially-transparent-charity)

Look up any UK charity's free Clarity Score from regulator filings.

[Search charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity-directory) [Read the guides](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides)

**Information only** — see [guides](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides) for more detail.