Heart Foundation scam message examples
Example scam messages
Subject: Final hours for your tax-deductible gift. Dear supporter, make your donation count this financial year. Our matched-giving pool closes at midnight, so give now at heartfoundation-appeals[.]example to lock in your deduction and double your impact.
What gives it away:
- The link is not heartfoundation.org.au, and a sender address can be faked, so don't treat a familiar one as proof either way
- Stacking a tax deadline on top of a matching deadline is engineered panic; a real end-of-financial-year deadline is no reason to give before you've checked, so go to heartfoundation.org.au yourself
- The Heart Foundation says any contact requesting a full credit card number and CVV number should be considered a hoax, and an unfamiliar payment page asking for card details is one to check first
In the days after a major news story about heart disease, a sponsored post links to a donation page at heart-research-fund[.]example. It carries the Heart Foundation logo and asks for card details, with an option to give by direct transfer to an individual's account.
What gives it away:
- The address bar does not show heartfoundation.org.au; a logo can be copied in seconds, so type the address yourself and look for the appeal there
- Scamwatch lists wanting a cheque made out to the collector rather than the charity as a warning sign; an option to transfer to an individual's account is the same move
- Fake appeals can ride fresh news; the story can be real while the fundraising page is not
How to check a message you've received
Never tap a link in an unexpected message. Instead, paste the text into the free message checker for an instant verdict, or check a suspicious link with the link & website checker. To verify directly, contact Heart Foundation through its official app or the number on its real website — never the details in the message itself.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this Heart Foundation message real or a scam?
The messages on this page are defanged examples of Heart Foundation impersonation scams — illustrations modelled on common scam patterns, not genuine Heart Foundation messages. To judge a specific message you've received, paste it into the free Scam Scanner checker for an instant verdict, or verify it directly through Heart Foundation's official app or website.
How can I tell a fake Heart Foundation message from a genuine one?
Sender addresses can be faked, so a familiar-looking address proves nothing; check a request yourself on heartfoundation.org.au. The examples below break down the tells that give a fake away — unexpected links, urgency, and requests for payment or details. If anything asks you to click a link or hand over information, treat it as suspicious until you've verified it independently.
What should I do if I already clicked a link or paid?
Act quickly: contact your bank, then follow the step-by-step recovery guide at /what-to-do. It walks you through who to contact — your bank, IDCARE and the right reporting channel — in the order that matters most.