The holiday season sparks a generous chord within many people. It is a time for giving, not just to the ones we love, but those in need around our community and country. While there are many charitable organizations who value your donations and use your funds to further their mission, scammers and fraudsters love to take advantage of well meaning generosity, and their end goal is far from wholesome!
We wanted to share some tips to help you stay financially safe and donate wisely this season. According to IRS.gov, here are some of the warning signs you should look out for when trying to spot a “fake” charity:
- Legitimate charities are not in a rush – if you’re being pressured to donate now rather than later, you may be dealing with a scam. Charities appreciate your donations at any time, now or later.
- If you are donating to a charity you’ve never contributed to, our banking experts are happy to help you verify the legitimacy of an organization. Scammers will often imitate real charities to trick donors into thinking they’re the real thing. It never hurts to double check, and it could save you money!
- Reputable charities will accept legitimate forms of payment (cash, check, or credit card) and will not require gift cards or wiring of funds as a way to donate.
- Always remember to protect your identity, no matter who you’re dealing with. Charities do not need your social security number to accept donations, and they’ll never require personal or private information.
To learn more about charity scams, how to spot them, and ways to stay safe, you can read the IRS news release about charity scams here: