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us Death, bereavement & serious family crises

What to do if…
you receive a suspicious fundraising or payment request after a death

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy USA guide

Short answer

Do not send money or personal information yet. Save the request and verify it through a separate contact route you already trust, rather than using links, phone numbers, or payment details supplied in the message.

Do not do these things

  • Do not pay because the sender creates urgency, guilt, or a deadline.
  • Do not click payment links or call numbers in the request before independently checking them.
  • Do not share bank logins, Social Security numbers, identification documents, passwords, or one-time security codes.
  • Do not use gift cards, cryptocurrency, cash, wire transfers, or payment apps merely because the sender insists on that method.
  • Do not forward or repost the request until you have checked who created it and where the money will go.
  • Do not publicly accuse anyone while the facts remain unclear.

What to do now

  1. Pause the payment. Save screenshots of the message, fundraiser page, web address, sender profile, phone number, payment handle, requested amount, and date.
  2. Contact a relative, known friend, named charity, funeral home, or fundraiser organizer using contact details you already have or find independently. Ask whether they know about and authorized the request.
  3. For a crowdfunding campaign, check the organizer’s name, relationship to the deceased, named beneficiary, stated purpose, and payment destination. Money raised through a crowdfunding campaign generally goes to the campaign organizer, who controls how it is used.
  4. If the request claims to represent a tax-exempt charity, search the charity’s exact legal name or Employer Identification Number using the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Then contact the organization through its official website.
  5. If you cannot verify the request, do not pay. Report the message, account, or campaign through the fundraising platform, social network, email provider, or payment service where it appeared.
  6. If you already paid, contact the bank, card issuer, wire service, gift-card company, cryptocurrency service, or payment app used for the transaction immediately. Say that you believe it was fraudulent and ask whether the payment can be stopped or reversed.
  7. If you shared a password, replace it with a new, strong password and change it anywhere else you reused it. If you shared sensitive identity information, use IdentityTheft.gov for steps based on what was exposed.
  8. Report the suspected scam to the Federal Trade Commission. Keep receipts, messages, transaction details, report confirmations, and responses from the platform or payment provider.

What can wait

You do not need to decide now whether to donate, choose an amount, confront the sender, contact every relative, investigate the entire situation, post a public warning, or identify who may be responsible. First establish whether the request and payment destination are genuine.

Important reassurance

Pausing is not disrespectful to the person who died or their family. Taking time to verify a request is reasonable, including when the need itself may be genuine.

Scope note

This guide covers immediate first steps only. Later decisions about recovering money, handling identity exposure, making further reports, or taking legal action may require help from the relevant financial institution, platform, regulator, or qualified professional.

Important note

This is general consumer-safety information, not legal, financial, tax, or professional advice. Payment recovery and reporting options depend on how the payment was made and the specific circumstances.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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