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In October 2020, ransomware group DarkSide said it had donated money taken from victims to two US charities. The case prompted a clear warning: a charity should not treat an apparently charitable gift as clean money when it may be criminal proceeds. The incident is historical, not evidence of a current DarkSide campaign; what a recipient should do depends on the law and regulator guidance in its jurisdiction.
What happened in the DarkSide donations
Computer Weekly reported on 21 October 2020 that DarkSide, a ransomware group that had emerged earlier that year, said in an online post on 13 October that it was “only fair” for some of its extorted money to go to charity. The group reportedly made two transfers of 0.88 bitcoin, each valued at $10,000 in that 2020 article, to US charities through cryptocurrency donation intermediary The Giving Block. The dollar figures are the report’s valuation at the time, not a current conversion. Computer Weekly’s account also said DarkSide posted tax receipts.
| Recipient | Initial response reported in 2020 | What the report does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Children International, Missouri | It reportedly said it did not intend to keep the money. | A final disposition or completed return is not established. |
| The Water Project, New Hampshire | It had begun investigating the source and how to return the money. | A completed investigation or final return is not established. |
The two charities’ reported responses were not identical, and the article does not establish that either organization ultimately completed a return. The case is best understood as a warning about handling suspected criminal proceeds, not as proof of a present-day donation campaign.
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A charity should not assume that a transfer is lawful simply because it is presented as a donation. In England and Wales, the Charity Commission says charities must refuse donations from illegal sources. Its guidance says that where a charity suspects it has received an illegal-source donation, it should not return it or contact the donor; trustees should follow the law and relevant guidance and may need professional advice. See the Commission’s guidance on returning charity property.
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That is UK regulator guidance, not legal advice for US charities or a finding about what happened to the DarkSide transfers. For a real incident, the governing law, the facts of the transfer, and the recipient’s jurisdiction matter.
What UK law says about suspected criminal property
Section 329 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 addresses acquiring, using, or possessing criminal property. The statute also sets out exceptions, so it should not be reduced to a blanket claim that every charity, trustee, or recipient automatically commits money laundering merely by receiving a suspicious transfer. Application depends on the statutory elements, exceptions, and facts. Read the text of section 329.
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The Charity Commission’s trustee guidance recommends reasonable steps to segregate suspected funds from the charity’s own funds, report the donation to police, consider whether a serious-incident report is appropriate, and obtain suitable professional advice. These are steps for charities regulated in England and Wales, not a substitute for advice on another country’s law. The Serious Fraud Office’s general overview of its role describes legal requirements not to retain proceeds of crime and the agency’s recovery and forfeiture powers; it is not a case-specific opinion on the DarkSide recipients.
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Javvad Malik, then identified by Computer Weekly as a security awareness advocate at KnowBe4, argued that charitable giving cannot erase the illegal origin of ransomware proceeds or the harm caused to victims. He said: “One should not look past the fact that the money was obtained illegally through criminal actions and no amount of charitable contributions can erase that.” He also said criminals should understand the real impact of their actions and that a charitable payment cannot make up for it. These are Malik’s ethical views, as quoted in the 2020 report.
Kelvin Murray, then a senior threat researcher at Carbonite’s Webroot, suggested the donations could serve ransomware operators’ public image, saying publicity and stakeholder goodwill might help make extortion tactics successful. That was his interpretation, not established evidence of DarkSide’s motive.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do if a charity receives a suspicious donation
For charities in England and Wales, the Commission’s guidance is specific: do not return a suspected illegal-source donation or contact the donor. Trustees should take reasonable steps to segregate the funds, report the matter to police, consider a serious-incident report, and seek appropriate professional advice. A charity outside that jurisdiction should consult its own regulator and qualified local counsel rather than assume the UK procedure applies.
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