Don’t Let Scammers Steal Your Donations

November 14 , 2022

The Thanksgiving season is a time to remember all we have, and many people show their gratitude by donating to charities. It’s a great thing to do, but you must check that the charity is real. Some scammers set up fake charities to take advantage of people’s generosity and steal their money.

 Here’s how it works. A fraudster sets up a fake website to look like a real charity. For example, they’ll use colors or logos to look like the Salvation Army.

 Then, they start asking you for money over the phone. They’ll use emotional stories, claim you donated the year before and promise it’s a tax deductible expense. Finally, they ask you to pay with cash, gift cards or cryptocurrency.

 If you donate, it will go to a criminal rather than someone in need. Make sure your money goes to the right place when you:

 1.      See if the suspicious charity is trying to copy another organization. A website that looks too much like a popular charity may warn you it’s a scam.

 2.      Refuse to tell the caller personal information like bank account numbers or social security numbers.

 3.      Use a credit card when donating. Credit cards have better fraud protection than gift cards or cryptocurrency.

 4.      Do a Google search for a charity before donating to it. Fake charities will have bad reviews. You can also search a charity on CharityWatch to see if it’s real.

 Allied members are very generous, and we don’t want you to stop donating this Thanksgiving. We just want you to stay aware and make sure your money goes to the people who deserve it.

 Learn more about charity scams and other holiday fraud here.