A warning: Scammers mentioning Doctors Without Borders
If an individual claiming to be MSF staff reaches out to you asking for money, it is most likely an act of attempted fraud.
We have received reports of online and offline scams in which people posing as Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff attempt to lure people to disclose personal information or send them money.
If an individual claiming to be a Doctors Without Borders staff member reaches out to you through social media, other websites, or other means asking for money or other forms of assistance, it is most likely an act of attempted fraud.
For the security of our staff, we cannot publicly confirm whether an individual is employed with us. However, we would like you to know that we would never ask individual staff members to personally solicit funds for medical procedures on behalf of our patients. Our organization pays for all travel, room, and board for our staff abroad. We also do not send payroll or stipend checks in US dollars to our aid workers overseas. We provide a comprehensive benefits package that covers medical needs.
In the event of emergencies—such as lost passports and visa trouble—we have clear protocols to support our staff members. Staff do not depend on outside assistance.
Below is a list of scams that have been brought to our attention. If you have additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us directly at donations@newyork.msf.org or 888-392-0392.
Reported scams:
- People posing as Doctors Without Borders staff in emails, requesting reimbursements for donations. To seem credible, they may name actual staff or senior management in their appeals.
- People setting up fake websites copying Doctors Without Borders information in order to commit online fraud.
- People posing as Doctors Without Borders staff, requesting money to pay for medical procedures for fictitious patients.
- People posing as Doctors Without Borders staff (or claiming to be acting on behalf of Doctors Without Borders staff) using social networking sites to request money to allegedly cover the travel costs of a staff member’s return from an assignment.
- People posing as Doctors Without Borders staff, claiming to have been detained on their way home, and asking for money to be released from detention.
- People posing as Doctors Without Borders staff (or using the name of the organization) to make professional connections or false job offers. They may also request payment, “application fees,” or ask for your personal data.
- People posing as Doctors Without Borders staff (or using the name of the organization) to accept packages.
If you are interested in supporting Doctors Without Borders, one of the safest and easiest ways to donate is through a secure form on our website.
