Charity Scams

Someone contacts you asking for a donation to a charity. It may sound like a legitimate charity that you have heard of, and you want to help. There is often an increase in this type of scam after a natural disaster or other emergency.

How can you tell if it is real or a scam? Charity scammers often pressure you to donate right away. They might ask for cash, ask you to wire the funds or encourage you to purchase gift cards to pay them. These payment methods are hard to trace and are frequently how scammers ask for payment. Scammers often refuse to send you information about the charity, give you details, or tell you how the money will be used. They might even thank you for a pledge you don’t remember making.

• Take your time. Tell caller to send you information by mail. If you receive requests through the mail do your research. Is it a real charitable organization? What percentage of your donation goes to the charity? Is your donation tax deductible? How do they want you to pay? Rule out anyone who asks you to send cash or gift cards, or wire money. Chances are that is a scam.
• Share this information with a friend. It is likely that nearly everyone you know gets charity solicitations. This information could help someone else spot a scam.
• If you get scam calls or illegal robocalls, please report them to the Federal Trade Commission at (877) 382-4357 or TTY (866) 653-4261 or online.