Wiregrass Seniors Magazine January 2019 JANUARY ISSUE | Page 14

Page 14
WiregrassSeniorsMagazine.com
How To Avoid Charity Scams
(BPT) - Charitable giving is a significant part of many
people's lives and budgets and individuals are often
eager to give back and lend a helping hand to those
in need. Unfortunately, not every organization seek-
ing a donation is exactly what it claims to be. If you're
not careful, you could wind up losing your well-inten-
tioned money to a scam.
Don't let the threat of scammers keep you from sup-
porting the causes you care about. By staying edu-
cated and informed about charity cons, you will be organizations, you should exercise extra caution and
prepared to spot a scam and avoid falling victim to think twice before donating.
fraud.
The friends and family rule
Recognizing common scam periods
Only use money transfers to send money to friends
While scams and other ploys can arise at any time, and family. Never send money to someone you have
they often increase while emotions are running high not met in person, and never share your banking or
- like near the holidays or following a natural disas- credit card information. Legitimate charities will never
ter - when people let their guard down and are ea- ask for donations to be sent to an individual through
ger to support those in need.
a money transfer service.
Such scams may request donations from you over
the phone, through the mail, via email or even on
social media. They might include charity names that
are very similar to legitimate charities, or even men-
tion recent genuine emergency relief efforts. Their
goal is to look as authentic as possible in hopes of
tricking you. Some of them are very convincing, but
you can protect yourself with these fraud aware-
ness tips from Western Union.
Take your time
Be wary of any sense of urgency to donate.
Scammers will try to work quickly, urging you to do-
nate before you find any holes in their story. "If you
get a phone call where someone is wanting a dona-
tion, don't act right away. Do your research and do-
nate to a recognized charity," advised Western Union
Senior Manager of Anti-Fraud Operations John
Skoglund. Remember, authentic charities won't push
you for an immediate response, and will be happy to
accept a donation at any time.
Be cautious of email links
Some donation requests may come through emails
that house fraudulent links taking you to look-a-like
websites. These websites have phony donation
pages where fraudsters can capture your personal
and financial information. Instead of clicking on links
in a donation request email, open a new browser
window to navigate to the charity's official website
and donate there.
Trust your instincts
Don't ignore your own concerns regarding a charity's
legitimacy and never assume you're "just being para-
noid." If you notice any red flags or feel uncertain
about the situation, don't donate. You may just be
right after all.
Reach out for help
If you get a fraudulent charity donation request and
you've sent them money via Western Union, call the
company's fraud hotline at [phone] to report
it. If the transaction has not been paid out to the
Do your research
Don't be afraid to ask for details about an organiza- receiver, Western Union can stop the transaction
tion. The charity should happily provide them. You and refund your money.
can also find a third-party source for information such
as Charity Navigator or the Better Business Bureau To learn more about scams and how to protect your-
Wise Giving Alliance. If the group that contacted you self, visit the Western Union Consumer Protection
isn't recognized as a charity by either of these
Center at www.westernunion.com/fraudawareness.