How can you avoid charity scams?
Although you might feel bad about being scammed when donating to a fake charity, the fact of the matter is, the fraudsters are clever and count on you to ignore any suspicious aspects in your eager to help. When the news is full of pictures and stories about the injured or displaced victims in need of assistance, it is easy to jump on the opportunity to give what you can to relieve their pain. There are three main types of charity scams that often arise after a disaster. Here's what they are and how you can avoid them.
Telemarketing scams
Perhaps the most annoying of all charity scammers methods use these scams interrupt your day with a phone call. They might claim to represent a charity collection donations for disaster victims, or of the most infamous cases they can actually claim to be representatives of disaster victims themselves. Anyway, it is never a good idea to give your information to someone over the phone because you can never be 100% sure they are who they say they are. The transfer from your bank account or a credit card abroad the phone should always be a no-go in your mind. If you want to donate to a charity on the phone, you must call yourself after looking at the number on the organization's website and do some research to ensure that your donation will be used properly.
One of the best answers - besides hang up - you can give to someone who solicits you by phone donations is to ask as many questions as possible. Scammers often grow poorly comfortable being questioned, and this can be a good way to discern if they are for real or not. It is unlikely cold most legitimate charities call people to collect donations, and as regards the appellants with suspicion is the best way to keep yourself safe from fraudsters charity. Some aggressive scammers will try to force you to make a decision on the ground to make a donation - do not fall within these tactics. Ask a Web address or the name of the organization to do more research and do not be afraid to just hang up the phone.
text message / email scams
These days, most people have a cell phone and an email account, and the crooks are keen to invade both. Text message donations have become a popular way for charities to encourage people to donate to victims in need, without having to do much, but unfortunately, the fraudsters have taken advantage of this method of self-donation to deceive people. As with telemarketing fraud, it is best to consider every text message you receive to solicit donations with extreme prejudice. If you want to do this type of gift, do some research and find a well-known charity that accepts donations text message to send money. The Charity Navigator website is a great resource for finding legitimate organizations to be used for donation.
Similarly, unsolicited emails from people or companies you do not recognize are very likely to be charity scams. Even if it looks like it comes from a well-known organization, you should be wary of clicking on links. Instead, visit the charity website separately in your Web browser and double-check that you have spelled the name correctly in the URL. Some scammers will set up fake websites with common misspellings to try to fool people into thinking they are on the real organization's web site. By clicking on the links in your e-mail or SMS can also put you at risk for download malicious software to your computer or mobile device, which could turn you into a victim of identity theft.
social media scams
Facebook and Twitter are full of messages designed to make you click on the links. Usually it is harmless or silly things, but fraudsters are aware of how easy it is to get people to act without thinking. charity scams are all too common on social media sites, especially because it is so easy to share pictures that tug on the heart strings of people. You can see the messages pop up on your news feed friends and pages you follow asking you to click on a link to make a donation, but it is best to do some research before you click. Some of these messages are outright scams - the scammer pockets the money instead to donate or collect your personal information for other purposes. Other times, the poster may mean well, but do not have the resources to monitor and ensure the money goes to the right place. Another thing to consider, according to the Better Business Bureau warning on Nepal charity scams, is social media accounts to collect followers so that the person can sell page or account to someone else on the road. They can be designed as charities to help, but really only exist to collect followers without actually doing anything substantial to help disaster victims.
How can I ensure that I am donating to the right place?
The most important step is to do your research. Use sites like the BBB and Charity Navigator that exist to help inform consumers about businesses and nonprofit organizations. Not only will you want to make sure the charity you donate actually sends money for victims of the disaster you want to help, but it is also wise to know what percentage of donations actually go to relief - certain charities, while legitimate, only to donate very little of their profits to people and causes in need. Finally, make sure that if you donate to a charity that helps you specify multiple causes that cause you want your money donation to be used.
Keep you safe from falling victims of charity scams requires common sense and the ability to think before reacting. This can be difficult when it comes to the tragic events that evoke empathy, but the most important thing to donate to charity is to help people - and your money goes into the pockets of a crook, it does not help anyone. Learn more about how to stay safe from fraudsters and protect your identity by following our blog protect against identity theft.