Is this donation request from Heart Foundation a scam?
No. The Heart Foundation is a genuine Australian health charity funding heart research and public health work. What circulates in its name is another matter: matched-giving emails, lookalike donation pages and appeals timed to heart health headlines are impersonations built to capture your card details. The good news: a few quick checks almost always tell a real Heart Foundation message from a fake.
Genuine Heart Foundation links lead to heartfoundation.org.au — but a link can be made to look real, so don't go by the link alone. Below is how genuine Heart Foundation contact usually works, the scams commonly run in its name, the red flags that give a fake away, and an example to compare against. Got a message in front of you? Check it now for an instant verdict.
What a real Heart Foundation message looks like
Genuine messages from Heart Foundation link to heartfoundation.org.au. Treat a link to any other address as a warning sign.
- Sender addresses can be faked, so a familiar-looking address proves nothing; check a request yourself on heartfoundation.org.au
- To give, type heartfoundation.org.au yourself or use your own bookmark; scam pages copy a charity's name, logo and look
- The Heart Foundation says it may contact donors directly to update or confirm card details, will only disclose the last four digits of a credit card number, and that any contact requesting a full credit card number and CVV number should be considered a hoax
- The Heart Foundation says people who choose to support it through a fundraiser receive a follow-up phone call, email and SMS, so a message after a sign-up can be genuine; check it using the contact details on heartfoundation.org.au rather than the message itself
- A receipt carrying an ABN doesn't prove it is genuine, because ABNs are public; check the charity yourself using the contact details on its ACNC Register record
What a genuine Heart Foundation contact shouldn't do
- Ask you to reply to an email with your full credit card number or CVV; the Heart Foundation says any such contact should be considered a hoax
- Push you to give through a link in a message rather than letting you go to heartfoundation.org.au yourself
- Ask for payment by gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency (no legitimate charity takes donations that way)
- Route donations to a personal bank account rather than the charity's own
- Hang a midnight deadline on a matched-giving campaign to force you through their link
Common Heart Foundation scams
- Emails that copy the Heart Foundation logo and urge an urgent tax-deductible donation to an account that is not the charity’s
- Messages claiming to be from the Heart Foundation that include a link to a look-alike donation page
- Fake appeals sent after major news stories about heart health, pressuring recipients to give immediately
Red flags to watch for
- Any email that asks you to donate via a link or attachment instead of typing heartfoundation.org.au yourself
- A sender address or link that imitates the Heart Foundation's name; addresses can also be faked, so check with the Heart Foundation yourself
- Requests for bank details or payment by gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency
- Urgent wording such as “donate in the next hour” or “match ends tonight”
- Spelling or design mistakes in the Heart Foundation logo or Australian address block
Heart Foundation scam examples
These composed examples show how scams impersonating Heart Foundation typically read, with the tells that give each one away. Compare them against anything you've received.
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
Not sure about your message?
Paste the suspicious Heart Foundation text or email and get an instant scam verdict, free.
How to verify a message from Heart Foundation
- Do not donate through the email or ad, and do not open its links or attachments
- Don't rely on the sender address, which can be faked; if the email asks you to give or confirm card details, contact the Heart Foundation yourself using the details on heartfoundation.org.au or its supporter relations line, 13 11 12
- Type heartfoundation.org.au into your browser yourself and look for the appeal there; genuine donation requests direct you to that site and nowhere else
- If you are still unsure, call the Heart Foundation on 13 11 12 before giving
If you have been scammed in Heart Foundation's name
Clicked the link, paid, or shared details? Act now. The first hour matters more than anything else you do later.
- If you entered card details, call your bank immediately, block the card and dispute any charges
- If you paid into a scammer's account by transfer, contact your bank straight away and ask it to attempt a recall; speed matters
- Change any password you typed on the fake page, on the real site and anywhere you reuse it
- If you shared identity documents or personal details, contact IDCARE (idcare.org) for free identity support
- Report the scam to Scamwatch and ReportCyber using the links below, and forward any related scam SMS to 7226
Where to report a scam impersonating Heart Foundation
Received — or fell for — a message impersonating Heart Foundation? Report it. It helps authorities and carriers shut the campaign down for everyone who gets the next one.
- Scamwatch — Report the scam to the ACCC's national scam service.
- ReportCyber — Report cybercrime and financial loss to the police.
- ACMA — Complain about scam texts and spam SMS, email or calls.
- Forward to 7226 (SCAM) — Forward the scam SMS to short code 7226 so carriers can block the source.
- IDCARE — Free identity and cyber support if your details were taken.
Heart Foundation scam activity in 2026
Heart Foundation impersonation is overwhelmingly an email game. Current campaigns push urgent tax-deductible gifts around the end of the financial year, dangle matched-giving offers that 'close at midnight', and spin up lookalike donation pages within days of major heart health stories in the news. The costume changes; the skeleton does not: an address or link that isn't the Heart Foundation's own, a payment page you reached through a message, and a clock. The single habit that helps against every version is refusing to give through the message: type heartfoundation.org.au yourself and look for the appeal there.
Frequently asked questions
I received an email asking for a donation to the Heart Foundation — is it real?
You can't tell from the sender address, which can be faked. Don't click the link or reply with card details; go to heartfoundation.org.au yourself, or call the Heart Foundation on 13 11 12, to check. If it's a scam, report it to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au.
Can the Heart Foundation send me a donation link by email?
The Heart Foundation does contact supporters by email and SMS, so a message isn't a scam just because it arrived that way. Judge what it asks: don't click a link to donate or confirm card details, and go to heartfoundation.org.au yourself instead.
How do I safely donate to the Heart Foundation?
Visit heartfoundation.org.au in your browser or open the official Heart Foundation website from a bookmark and donate there.
What should I do if I already clicked a link in a Heart Foundation email?
Close the page, run a malware scan, and if you entered any card details contact your bank immediately. Report the email at cyber.gov.au or scamwatch.gov.au.
What is the Heart Foundation's real website?
The Heart Foundation's website is heartfoundation.org.au. Reach it by typing the address or using your own bookmark rather than a link inside an email. Sender addresses and receipts can be copied, so don't treat a familiar-looking address or an ABN on a message as proof.
How do I report a Heart Foundation scam?
Report the message to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) so the National Anti-Scam Centre can track it. If you lost money or entered card or identity details, contact your bank first, then report the incident to ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au). Scam texts can also be forwarded to 7226, which spells SCAM.
Scam message examples
Related scam types
Scams impersonating Heart Foundation usually fit one of these patterns. Learn how each works:
Related brands
Other charity names scammers impersonate — check a message from one:
Sources
- Donation scams: fake charities and appeals (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Email scams: how to spot a phishing email (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Report a cybercrime or cyber security incident (Australian Cyber Security Centre)
- Our fundraisers: face-to-face fundraising (Heart Foundation)
- Privacy Policy (Heart Foundation)
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice — always verify with Heart Foundation through an official channel.