Beware of donation scams involving Ukraine
There is an outpouring of moral and financial support from Canadians who want to donate to the people of Ukraine, but there are also donation scams to be aware of.
"I was quite shocked. I would see hundreds of donations through a live stream and the video that claimed to be in the Ukraine appeared to be a fake," said Wave Wyld, a TikTok marketing expert.
Wyld told CTV News Toronto she started flagging videos on TikTok that claimed to be from Ukraine when she noticed scammers were creating fake live streaming videos.
Some of the videos used doctored or fake footage in an attempt to solicit donations through the social media platform. There are also accounts of realistic video game footage being used to make videos to try and solicit donations.
"You are just hearing people crying, making noises and people weeping and saying give me money, give me money," said Wyld.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress said it is not aware of any scams involving donations for Ukraine, but said those who want to donate to support the people of Ukraine can do so by donating to The Friends of Ukraine Defense Forces Fund or the The Canada-Ukraine Foundation.
The federal government also said anyone donating to the Red Cross - Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal will have their donations matched dollar for dollar up $10M.
"When they learn how much help and financial aid and support there is for them they are receiving (here in Canada) it is like a blessing for them," said Nadia Prokopiw, spokesperson for the Toronto Branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.
There are other charities that are also offering to help Ukraine, but anyone planning to make a donation is encouraged to do their research to better understand where their money is going.
Be careful if you get texts or e-mails seeking donations to support Ukraine and instead of clicking on any links provided it's better to seek out the charity yourself.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From essential goods to common stocking stuffers, Trudeau offering Canadians temporary tax relief
Canadians will soon receive a temporary tax break on several items, along with a one-time $250 rebate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
She thought her children just had a cough or fever. A mother shares sons' experience with walking pneumonia
A mother shares with CTVNews.ca her family's health scare as medical experts say cases of the disease and other respiratory illnesses have surged, filling up emergency departments nationwide.
Trump chooses Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Gaetz withdraws
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Thursday named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, to be U.S. attorney general just hours after his other choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name from consideration.
A one-of-a-kind Royal Canadian Mint coin sells for more than $1.5M
A rare one-of-a-kind pure gold coin from the Royal Canadian Mint has sold for more than $1.5 million. The 99.99 per cent pure gold coin, named 'The Dance Screen (The Scream Too),' weighs a whopping 10 kilograms and surpassed the previous record for a coin offered at an auction in Canada.
Putin says Russia attacked Ukraine with a new missile that he claims the West can't stop
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday that Moscow has tested a new intermediate-range missile in a strike on Ukraine, and he warned that it could use the weapon against countries that have allowed Kyiv to use their missiles to strike Russia.
Here's a list of items that will be GST/HST-free over the holidays
Canadians won't have to pay GST on a selection of items this holiday season, the prime minister vowed on Thursday.
Video shows octopus 'hanging on for dear life' during bomb cyclone off B.C. coast
Humans weren’t the only ones who struggled through the bomb cyclone that formed off the B.C. coast this week, bringing intense winds and choppy seas.
Taylor Swift's motorcade spotted along Toronto's Gardiner Expressway
Taylor Swift is officially back in Toronto for round two. The popstar princess's motorcade was seen driving along the Gardiner Expressway on Thursday afternoon, making its way to the downtown core ahead of night four of ‘The Eras Tour’ at the Rogers Centre.
Service Canada holding back 85K passports amid Canada Post mail strike
Approximately 85,000 new passports are being held back by Service Canada, which stopped mailing them out a week before the nationwide Canada Post strike.