EXPOSED! — Fake US Charity FUNNELED Cash To HAMAS

Sign on the exterior wall of the Department of Justice building

A California man is now at the center of a major terror-finance case, accused of turning “Gaza charity” appeals into a $600,000 pipeline for Hamas and for himself.

Story Snapshot

Federal prosecutors say a San Diego resident used fake “humanitarian” fundraisers to send money to Hamas and pay his own bills.
The Justice Department says about $600,000 was raised in weeks, with over $100,000 allegedly routed to a Hamas member and more planned via cryptocurrency.
The case highlights how online “charity” campaigns can hide terror financing and scam well-meaning Americans.
The Trump administration’s Justice Department is signaling a tougher line on sham charities that fuel foreign extremist groups.

DOJ: Fake Gaza Charity Turned Into Hamas Cash Pipeline

Federal prosecutors say 38‑year‑old Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi, a naturalized citizen living in San Diego, ran online “charity” drives that were anything but charitable.^[3] According to a newly unsealed complaint from the United States Department of Justice, he is charged with terrorism, sanctions evasion, wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements tied to a scheme that allegedly diverted donations to the terrorist group Hamas and to his own personal expenses.^[3] Officials stress he is presumed innocent, but the charges are serious and sweeping.^[2]

Justice Department filings say that between December 2023 and February 2024, Sabassi raised about $600,000 through social media campaigns, crowdfunding pages, and a supposed nonprofit called Ikram – The Arab Charity Foundation Inc.^[3] He allegedly told donors the money would pay for food, medicine, and basic needs for people in Gaza. Prosecutors now say those claims were a lie, and that the real goal was to support Hamas and enrich himself, not to help suffering families.^[2]

The Palestinian genocidal Hamas terrorist fundraiser plot gets bigger by the hour. Hamas terrorist fundraiser Reda Sabassi was employed with Booz Allen Hamilton.

Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi, 38, was charged with terrorism, sanctions evasion, wire fraud, money laundering and making… https://t.co/DL9yyD6eCL pic.twitter.com/5KIh4DFOQR

— Saint James Hartline (@JamesHartline) June 18, 2026

How Prosecutors Say The Hamas Fundraising Scheme Worked

Court documents describe a simple but powerful tactic: play on the horror of the October 7 Hamas attacks and the images from Gaza, then promise instant help if people give online.^[1] Investigators say Sabassi used multiple donation platforms and social media accounts to push emotional appeals that looked like normal relief drives.^[8] Behind the scenes, prosecutors allege he coordinated with Hamas‑linked figures and the fundraising outlet known as Gaza Now, which the Treasury Department later labeled a key financial tool for Hamas and sanctioned as a terrorist supporter.^[3]

The complaint says Sabassi sent about $116,000 to an identified Hamas member and tried to turn roughly $382,000 into cryptocurrency so it could be sent through Gaza Now, away from normal banking oversight.^[3] Investigators also say he did not direct all of the money overseas. According to Justice Department filings, some of the funds raised through Ikram allegedly went toward his own rent and personal credit card bills, turning a terror‑finance case into an alleged donor fraud case as well.^[3] The government says he then lied to investigators about his actions.^[7]

Why This Case Matters To Donors, National Security, And The Trump Era Crackdown

For years, American officials have warned that some overseas “charities” are fronts for Hamas and other extremist groups, raising money under a humanitarian label while quietly sending funds to terror networks instead.^[15] Past cases, such as the Holy Land Foundation convictions, showed how seemingly normal relief organizations can act as hidden bank accounts for Hamas‑controlled committees.^[16] In this new case, the Justice Department says the same basic playbook moved onto mainstream crowdfunding sites, reaching Americans on their phones in minutes.^[3]

The Trump administration’s Justice Department and Treasury Department have already stepped up actions against what they call “sham charities” tied to Hamas, including sanctions on groups that claimed to provide medical or humanitarian aid in Gaza while allegedly helping the group’s military wing.^[19] This case fits that broader pattern and sends a clear warning to anyone thinking about abusing American generosity or using our financial system to bankroll foreign terrorists.^[3] It also reminds patriots to vet online fundraisers carefully, especially when they involve hot‑button conflicts overseas.^[22]