Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston has been alerted to someone trying to pose as an employee of our organization requesting personal information and fees to receive assistance or make a donation. The scammer is contacting people via social media and mining for personal information.
This is a phishing scam. Do not share any personal information or pay fees to anyone posing as Catholic Charities in this manner.
See an example of the phishing scam below:
Click the images above to see the full size version
Note this person is not employed by Catholic Charities and does not have the authorization to represent our agency.
Catholic Charities will not contact anyone through social media to receive assistance or request fees. Any fees for services are discussed with clients individually by our Case Managers during the intake process.
Additionally, Catholic Charities does not charge fees to make donations.
We are accredited by the Council on Accreditation and Better Business Bureau, and also the recipient of the 2019 BBB Winner of Distinction for Nonprofits, and the 2015 BBB Pinnacle Award for Nonprofits. We are a member agency of the United Way of Greater Houston and a member of Catholic Charities USA, one of the largest private networks of social services providers in the country. Read more in our About Us section.
Please refer to the resources below for more information on our privacy policies, and how to spot and avoid scams:
Catholic Charities Privacy Policy Information
Resources on avoiding charity scams
- Do’s and Don’ts on charity donations – AARP
- How to donate wisely and avoid charity scams – FTC
- Avoiding Charity Scams: Questions to Ask & Ways to Give – Charity Navigator
- Common Scams and Frauds – USA.gov
- 5 tips for social media privacy and security – Norton
- Social Networking Privacy: How to be Safe, Secure and Social – Privacy Rights Clearinghouse