Recently, the US Government announced a crackdown on charity Fraud.

Fraudulent charity requests are fairly ancient. The Gemara Bava Basra

אָמַר רַב הוּנָא: בּוֹדְקִין לִמְזוֹנוֹת, וְאֵין בּוֹדְקִין לִכְסוּת – אִי בָּעֵית אֵימָא קְרָא, וְאִי בָּעֵית אֵימָא סְבָרָא;

Rav Huna says: Charity collectors examine the level of poverty of one who asks for food, but they do not examine the level of poverty of one who asks for clothing. If a person comes before the charity collectors in tattered clothes, he is given clothing without any questions being asked.

https://www.sefaria.org/Bava_Batra.9a.6

Rashi explains that the concern is for fraud

בודקין למזונות – אם בא עני ואמר פרנסוני בודקין שלא יהיה רמאי:

https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Bava_Batra.9a.6.1

The word indicating “fraud” is רמאי rammai

However, the final halacha follows Rav Yehuda

וְרַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר: בּוֹדְקִין לִכְסוּת, וְאֵין בּוֹדְקִין לִמְזוֹנוֹת;

And Rav Yehuda says just the opposite: Charity........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)