Identify Bogus Charities

Posted on July 15, 2009
Filed Under Finance |

Many people regularly give donations to various charities. Everyone wants to do something to help, especially when it comes to things like animals or children. But you must always remember that some charities are not as legitimate as they first seem. There are many scam artists out there that choose to pose as a charity because it is much more likely to work. This is why you should not just give out money to anyone who asks for it. It is very easy to fall victim to a scam so it is up to you to protect yourself. There are many ways that you can do this. Start by being alert and getting informed.

There are so many worthy causes that people truly care about so it makes it incredibly easy for scammers to choose one to pose as. Many scam charities will say things about children or animals or even veterans from the war in order to get you to hand over your heard earned money. A lot of these scams take place over the phone. If someone calls you asking for money, you should ask them for their address or other contact information and refuse to give your credit card number over the phone. Tell them that instead you would much rather give your donation in person. Sometimes this will be enough to scare them off.

Pay close attention to your mail as well. There are now scam charities that are creating mail designed to look like an official charity when it really is not. It is very easy to miss the signs and end up sending a check or your credit card information. One good rule to follow is that if you have never heard of the charity; do not send them any money at all until you have looked into them further. It is certainly quite important to help out those in need but it is up to us to make sure we know where our money is really going to.

Another thing that you should watch out for are those that try to tell you that you have already committed to sending the money when in fact you have not. This type of scam is increasing as more people are getting calls and letters insisting they promised to send a certain amount of money. Do not allow people to trick you. Make a note of every time you do make a charitable donation. Write it down and get an official receipt every single time.

Some scam artists will be bold enough to walk right up to your door. Do not give money away to anybody that is going door to door. Always look up any charity that comes to your door so that you can make sure they are legit. If they are not, report them right away. Failure to report these scams is what enables them to continue. Keep on top of who you deal with and always investigate and report any suspicious activity. It will make a difference for those charities that are trying to make a real difference.

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