Charity Scams

Everyone wants to feel charitable and generous, which works to charity invoice scammers’ benefit. Scammers who trick you with charity scams use the emotional approach to pressure you into paying invoices for donations you don’t recall making. Fake charity invoices may come alone in the mail or accompanied by a polite phone call thanking you for your donation. Sometimes the phone call is to arrange a delivery for products you purchased to support the charitable cause. If it’s a charity you’ve never heard of before, and you can’t remember making any such donation or pledge, ask for further identification.

A legitimate charity will provide information about how your donation will be used to further the charity’s mission and will have various ways to verify that they are a valid and registered charity organization. Be careful, though. Some scammers will pose as representatives of existing charities. If you don’t remember making the donation, politely hang up and call the said charity to see if it is aware of the solicitation or has any record of your previous donation. Make sure your money benefits the causes you want to support.

You may confirm the legitimacy of a charitable organization by calling the IRS at 1-877-829-5500.