Avoid Donating to Charity Scammers
The Federal Trade Commission provided some helpful tips to help you and your users to donate safely this holiday season and all year round:
- Do some research online – Start by searching for causes you care about along with phrases like “best charity” or “top rated charity”. When you consider giving to a specific charity, search its name plus “complaint,” “review,” “rating,” or “scam.” You can use resources such as Charity Navigator or CharityWatch to verify your search.
- Be careful how you pay – If someone wants donations in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money, don’t do it. That’s a trap for scammers to take your money. Be on the safe side and pay by credit card or check, and keep records of your donations. Before you click on a donation link, check out this FTC article to help you make sure your money is going where you think it is.
- Keep scammers’ tricks in mind – Some cybercriminals try to trick you into paying them by thanking you for a donation that you never made, or use a local area code when making a call. Make sure to watch out for red flags such as guaranteeing sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a donation (it’s illegal) or claims that your donation is tax-deductible when it’s not. If you’re feeling rushed or pressured to make a donation, that should also be a red flag that something isn’t quite right.
Every year cybercriminals prove there is no social engineering scheme too low for them to use in their attacks. New-school security awareness training can train your users on how to spot and report any malicious activity.
Take time to read the article on
Shocking Charity Scam Statistics: VPNRanks Predicts Staggering $6.2 Million in Losses by 2025
It shed more light on this topic.
Happy reading.