How to Recognize a Suspicious Car Donation Call or Message

If an unexpected call, text or email asks you to share documents or send money for a Brooklyn car donation, pause before responding. Contact us independently before taking the requested action. A familiar organization name does not establish who contacted you. The FTC’s phishing guidance recommends contacting an organization through a phone number or website you know is real, rather than information supplied in an unexpected message.

Contact us independently

Call us at 1-646-402-6102 for scheduling or more information. You can also start your donation online through our donation form. If a message makes you uncomfortable, leave it unanswered while you reach us through your independently chosen route.

When you call, describe the contact and ask whether the request came from us. You might say, “I received a message about donating my car. Can you help me check the request?” Explain what the sender wanted before sharing additional personal details. Do not use a callback number supplied only in the questionable message.

Inspect the address, not just the name

Our donation form is at troopsrelieffund.org/donate/. Examine the full sender address and any visible destination address in an unexpected message. Look for changed letters, misspellings or a different domain ending. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s phishing prevention guidance explains that small address differences and convincing imitation websites can be warning signs.

• Expand the sender details instead of relying only on the displayed organization name.
• Compare the spelling carefully rather than scanning for familiar words.
• If the destination is unclear, leave the link alone and navigate independently.
• Do not treat a padlock or HTTPS as proof that the organization behind a website is genuine.

You do not need to open a suspicious link to investigate it. Leave it untouched and call us instead.

Pause before uploading documents

Do not upload a vehicle title, registration, driver’s license or other sensitive document through a link in an unsolicited message. First call us independently and ask whether the request came from us, what information is needed and how to provide it. Keep the discussion focused on the specific request rather than sending every document you have.

Even if you recently decided to donate, check an unexpected sender before responding. The FTC’s advice for suspicious messages applies even when you recognize the organization being named. Leave suspicious links and attachments unopened, and keep passwords and banking credentials out of the exchange.

Recognize pressure to pay immediately

Stop if someone insists that you must pay immediately or discourages you from calling independently. Demands that you pay only by gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency are charity-scam warning signs. The FTC’s charitable giving guidance explains these payment risks.

Write down the requested amount, the stated reason and the payment method, then end the exchange. Do not send money just to resolve an urgent claim. Use your notes when you call us to ask about the request or report suspected impersonation.

Report suspected impersonation

If someone appears to be using our name, call us at 1-646-402-6102 and describe the contact. Keep the message, sender details, date and payment instructions for your records. Do not continue the conversation to investigate it yourself.

You can report suspected fraud to the FTC. For an unwanted text, use your messaging app’s report option or forward the message to 7726, which spells SPAM. The FTC provides instructions for reporting unwanted texts.

If you already paid, promptly contact the bank, card issuer or payment provider involved. Explain the suspected scam and ask whether the payment can be reversed. If you shared sensitive information, follow the FTC’s recovery steps after a scam for the information involved.

Ready to continue your Brooklyn car donation? Start your donation online or call us at 1-646-402-6102. Choose your own route to us before sharing documents or acting on an unexpected request.