Charity scams, these days you have to be on your toes!

A number of Americans give to charities, it helps different causes and makes us feel good. However, it’s one thing to donate money, goods or services to legitimate organizations and quite another if it’s a scam. Use these tips to help you spot whether you’re giving to the proper entity or not.

  • Be on alert, especially after a big disaster that’s received a lot of media attention.
  • Always ask for the contact information of the charity (name, address, and phone number). You can use this information to check out a national charity at the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance; you can call 703-276-0100 or go to their website:  http://give.org/  They publish reports on over 600 different charities. Or, call the number you were given and verify that there is a campaign going on, and that they’ve authorized the charity drive that you’re being invited to contribute to.
  • NEVER donate cash if you can help it, write a check to the charity and definitely not to the person asking for your donation. Writing a check helps to document the donation for your records and for your tax return. And never give out your bank account information!
  • Get a receipt with the name of the charity on it.
  • Be extremely cautious when you receive a charitable donation request via email. Most legitimate charities don’t use email for their initial solicitations. Once you’ve donated, some legitimate charities will email people, but never respond to first time requests. If you do, as a result, you may become a victim of identity theft.
  • Be very wary about charities that claim to be raising funds for the local police or firefighters. Give your local police precinct and/or  fire station a call on their non-emergency phone lines and check with them first!
  • Once you’ve determined that the charity is legitimate and you’ve decided you want to contribute, donate what you can and want to give, it will be appreciated. Never succumb to pressure or guilt about suggested donations. Any charity will be grateful for your donation.
  • The best way to avoid any charity scam is to contact them first. You decide what organizations you want to support and how much you’ve budgeted in order to do so. This way, you can turn anyone else away who comes to you with their hat in hand.

Sources

http://www.scambusters.org/

http://give.org/

The information found on the Gerstenberger Law site is for educational purposes only.  Your situation and the situation of others is unique and more complex.  This is neither legal advice nor to be considered legal advice.  Contact us for advice about your specific situation

 

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