{"id":26305,"date":"2018-11-26T08:46:14","date_gmt":"2018-11-26T15:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https://www.webroot.com/blog/?p=26305"},"modified":"2019-03-22T16:07:49","modified_gmt":"2019-03-22T22:07:49","slug":"charity-scams-watch-holidays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://www.webroot.com/blog/2018\/11\/26\/charity-scams-watch-holidays\/","title":{"rendered":"Charity Scams to Watch Out for During the Holidays"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018Tis the season of giving, which means scammers may try to take advantage of your good will. A surprising fact about American donation habits is that everyday folks like yourself are the single largest driver of charitable donations in the United States. Giving USA\u2019s Annual Report on Philanthropy found that individuals gave $286.65 billion<\/a><\/u> in 2017, accounting for 70 percent of all donations in the country.<\/p>\n

Last year, Giving Tuesday donations alone grew by 22 percent<\/a><\/u>, with an average household donation of $111. With the seventh annual Giving Tuesday on November 27 fast approaching and technology that makes it increasingly easier to support your favorite causes, it\u2019s more important than ever to keep your guard up before you click the \u201cdonate\u201d button.<\/p>\n

Charity Scams<\/a><\/h2>\n

Unsolicited donation requests are fairly normal during the holiday season \u2014especially since non-profits depend on year-end giving<\/a><\/u> for the success of their organizations\u2014but look out for a few behaviors as red flags. Overly aggressive pitches including multiple phone calls and emails, or high-pressure tactics that require your immediate donation, should always be avoided. Be on high alert for \u201cphishy\u201d emails and links; make sure to check the sender\u2019s email address and hover over links to reveal their true destination before clicking on them. Even if a website looks legitimate, it may be a spoofed. Check that the domain matches the company you intended to visit. This can be trickier than it sounds. For instance, stjudehospital.com may appear to be genuine, but an easy Google search of \u201cSt. Jude Hospital\u201d reveals their actual site to be stjude.org.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re donating to a charity you\u2019ve never worked with before, do a little research before committing your funds. Charity Navigator is a particularly useful resource<\/a><\/u>; just type in the organization\u2019s name and check out their rating. If they are not listed on Charity Navigator, it\u2019s probably best to err on the side of caution and donate your hard-earned dollars elsewhere. Also, be sure to only enter sensitive or personal information into websites that have an SSL certificate; you\u2019ll be able to tell if a page is secure if the link begins with “https\u201d. (This is a great tip for shopping online this holiday season too.) Finally, before making any online donations, make sure you have a strong antivirus program<\/a><\/u> installed that can detect phishing sites and that it\u2019s up-to-date on all your devices.<\/p>\n

If you are contacted by a charitable organization by telephone and want to make a donation, don\u2019t give them your credit details over the phone. Have them mail you a donation form for you to evaluate and mail back. Remember: no legitimate charity will ask you to wire them money or pay them in gift cards. If you encounter a charity that is urging you to do so, cut all contact and block them on all platforms.<\/p>\n

Bear in mind that not all charity scams are out for money, either\u2014some are hoping to skim personal information. There is absolutely no reason to provide a charitable organization with information like your Social Security Number or driver’s license number\u2014these are major red flags. Also, be especially cautious of requests to send an SMS code to donate via text message.<\/p>\n

Social Media Scams<\/h2>\n

Social media is an easy and typically secure way to donate to legitimate charitable organizations, but scammers know how to use these platforms as well. Social media scams are on the rise<\/a><\/u>, but a little bit of common sense goes a long way with donations on social channels. If you\u2019re looking to donate to someone through a crowdfunding site<\/a><\/u>, be sure the campaign fully answers these questions:<\/p>\n