If youƵve spent any time on social media, you may have come across ads or videos selling merchandise that claim to support a charity or a local cause. Complete with older adults, adorable animals, touching music, and handmade products, these videos are part of a growing social media scam targeting animal lovers and kind-hearted donors.
How the scam works
When scrolling on TikTok or another social media platform, you see a video showing an older adult asking for help. The video may say something along the lines of, ƵPlease stay for 8 seconds to help my cat shelter from shutting down,Ƶ or ƵPlease donƵt scroll for 12 seconds to help my failing animal shelter.Ƶ
You continue watching the video, which shows cats or other animals in a shelter. The video captions say that the person is struggling to keep their animal shelter open, so they are making cat slippers to help fund it. You see shots of the person in a craft store, cutting fabric, and then showing the final slipper product.
In the video description, you see a link to donate to the cause. You will be directed to a website to make a purchase, where it is unclear if the money is going to a charity.
These social media videos may be AI-generated or may include stolen videos or images from other accounts.
BBB received the following report on BBB Scam Tracker from someone who experienced this scam:
TikTok videos on an account called FlappyBirdUS of a little old man and his wife who Ƶmake cat toys to support their failing cat shelterƵ... when you order the toy to support them nothing ever gets sent to you they just take your money... all the videos are fake, AI generated nonsense ...selling cat toys in this case, cow slippers in another versionƵ
BBB tips to avoid donation scams
Only do business with companies you know and trust. If you want to purchase a product or donate, do so through a reputable business or non-profit. If you want to buy something from a company you aren’t familiar with, do plenty of research first. Look up the company name, website, and contact information. Read reviews on
and do a general search with the company’s name and the word “scam.” Don’t skip this step, even if you’re excited about the product. It’s the best way to protect yourself from fraud and identity theft.
Don’t give in to videos that tug at your heartstrings. If you see one of these videos with kittens, puppies, or cows and want to make a purchase to support the cause, resist the urge to do so right away, even if the video relays a sense of urgency. Intimidation and sympathy tactics are often used by scammers and are a red flag.
Check to see if the charity is real on
. For a charity to receive Accreditation, it must meet 20 Standards of Accountability covering everything from governance to fundraising. If the organization does not appear on , that does not mean it’s not a real charity, but it can be a warning that you need to do more investigation.
Give locally. Contact your local or state/provincial animal shelters or other agencies directly and ask how you can support them.
For more information: Read BBB’s article, “Think twice before buying from these social media ads,” for more information on products that claim to support a charity. BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB’s ) has a list of reputable animal charities that meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability (i.e., BBB Accredited Charities) on its website.
Visit or call 330-454-9401 to look up a business, file a complaint, write a customer review, read tips and find events.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
