London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

Investigation finds hundreds of fake charity websites

Investigation finds hundreds of fake charity websites

Online scammers have been using hundreds of fake charity websites to trick people wanting to donate to Ukraine, a BBC investigation has found.

Fake sites have used the branding of charities such as Save the Children. Some scammers have even pretended to be getting equipment to soldiers on the front line.

One charity boss called the practice "awful" and said it was taking money from children in need around the world.

The investigation identified a bogus site, calling itself Save Life Direct - which claimed to have raised $100,000 (£80,000) - was registered to a man based in Abuja, in Nigeria.

When he was traced and contacted by the BBC, he initially claimed he was sending donations to a "friend" in western Ukraine.

Later, he admitted he hadn't raised $100,000 at all. He said he would provide proof the site was real but he did not - and the following day, the website was taken down.


Equipment to the front line


Many of the scams use emotionally-charged language, including pretending to be real people in Ukraine in need of help.

One bogus site had stolen the details of a real organisation raising cash for the Ukrainian military - putting up an alternative address, controlled by the scammers, to which money could be sent.

Tanya Tarasevich, whose profile was used by scammers, described the exploitation of the war as a "crime"


It even used the real Facebook profiles of genuine Ukrainian fundraisers, including one belonging to Tanya Tarasevich - whose job is to get supplies to fighters on the front line.

She said she was appalled by their actions: "It's the worst thing you can do to a person, when in your country little children are dying and your country is all on fire. It's a crime."


Hundreds of sites


Jack Whittaker, an expert in online scams who is completing a PhD at the University of Surrey, said there were hundreds of these websites, showing a "high degree of success".

His research shows scammers are always looking for a new opportunity.

"They simply have the TV on and they look for the next big thing that they can attach themselves to, in this case the perfect opportunity was the Ukrainian crisis".

The BBC's investigation also found the logos and branding of the charity Save the Children had been stolen and used to create a fake website.

Chris Saul, from Save the Children, said the "generosity of the British public is being taken advantage of".

"There's also the children, who we work with around the world, who are not going to get the support they need," he added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
×