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........

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