You may want to do the right thing, to help other people in need. Unluckily, not everyone shares your noble point of view. There are people who only want to help themselves, and they are willing to do it by taking advantage of your virtuous nature and stealing your money. Worst of all, they do it in the name of charity.
The scammers prey on donors and their goodwill by pretending to help an array of people in need, ranging from firefighters and police officers to cancer patients and dying children.
Sadly, there are many
sophisticated charity scams operating that it's difficult for would be donors
to tell the fake charities from the real ones. The scammers use natural
disasters, websites designed to look precisely like genuine charities and
high-pressure sales tactics, including guilt and promises of sweepstakes
winnings to entice donors. To avoid being scammed, completely avoid charities
that:
1.
Would Not Take a Check
Genuine charities don’t
insist on cash donations. Nor do they require donations to be made through wire
transfer. To learn more about the money-transfer business and the wire fraud
associated with it.
2.
Can Not Be Reached by Phone
Genuine charities have functioning
telephone numbers and offices with staff members who can answer your questions.
You ought to be able to contact the office and discuss the charities'
activities, including how the money is spent and what percentage of it goes to
those in need vs what is spent on administrative expenditures and executive
salaries.
3.
Solicit Donations Through Email
With the push of a
button, a blast email message can reach an enormous audience. If just a small
percentage of those people respond, the scammer makes money. Genuine charities
also solicit by email. So if you are charitably motivated, you don’t need an unwelcome
email to help you decide where to donate. Hit the delete key ones you don't
know and respond to charities that reflect your values.
4.
Call You On The Phone
Telemarketing is a prodigious
tool for scammers. Dialing for dollars is a numbers game. Call enough numbers
and somebody will send money. Unfortunately, most of the money ends up in the
hands of the people making the calls rather than the charities they claim to represent.
If you get a call from anyone asking for money, hang up the phone. If you can’t
bring yourself to do that, at the very least ask for a call back number. Don’t
donate on the spot. Take few time to learn more about the charity and, if you
like what you learn then call back and make your donation.
5.
Thank You For a Pledge You Do Not Remember Making
Scammers often begins
with a "thank you," telling you that they appreciate your pledge and
are now contacting you to connect. The letters usually read: “Thank you for
your membership” or something similar and end with a request for a donation. If
you don’t remember becoming a member, don’t make the donation.
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