Scammers are hijacking tap-to-pay donations to turn a $20 gift into a $2,000 charge—here’s how to protect your money

We’ve all experienced that semi-awkward moment of being approached on the street and asked to make a donation to a cause we’ve probably never heard of.

Either because we feel inclined to donate to avoid guilt or because we genuinely feel compelled to contribute, we’ll throw a few bucks in the pot.

But the problem is, a growing number of scammers are out there posing as a nonprofit or charity and asking for money.

And not only that, but some will do the old bait-and-switch with payments.

For example, you intend to donate $20 using a tap-to-pay model, but the scammer would change the transaction to $2,000 without you even noticing.

That’s according to Kurt Knutsson, the tech expert behind CyberGuy Report.

Essentially, scammers are taking advantage of the newer tap-to-pay model, hoping you won’t notice the number on the screen had changed based on what you had agreed on donating.

This further dissolves the trust in philanthropies and nonprofit organizations millennials and Gen Zers so desperately want.

According to Bloomerang’s 2026 Giving Signals Report , conducted with The Harris Poll among more than 1,000 U.S. donors and 400 fundraising leaders in March, millennials and Gen Z care most about giving because it makes them feel as if they are “part of something.” But even more than that, consumers want to trust in organizations while discretionary spending is more precious amid inflation, stagnant wages, and a higher cost of living.

“Donors are ready to trust nonprofits, but they want to see the receipts more,” Steve Isom, chief operating and financial officer of nonprofit software company Bloomerang, recently told Fortune .

“A bit more trust, but verified.” While the Bloomerang report shows 85% of active donors trust the organizations they donate to use funds effectively, building trust takes time.

So, increased scam activity can break down that trust that real philanthropic organizations and nonprofits need to succeed.

So how can consumers avoid scams and trust real organizations? The disconnect starts with a subtle, yet critical distinction: Authenticating a payment and trusting it aren’t the same thing.

A donor can approve a transaction on a card reader and still be deceived about what they are actually agreeing to, Mary Ann Miller , fraud and cybercrime executive advisor and VP of client experience at identity verification company Prove, told Fortune .