Giving Tuesday is a great idea for organizations and people to give back to people in need, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this causes concern for an increase in charity scams to arise.
The Better Business Bureau provided some helpful tips to help anyone wanting to donate wisely and make the most of their generosity this holiday season and all year round:
- Watch out for name similarities - Before you give away any money, make sure you have the exact name of the charity you'll be donating to.
- Review the website carefully - Check the website of the organization you're donating to. Make sure the typical items of mission, goals, and criteria of achievements are listed.
- Avoid on-the-spot donation decisions from unfamiliar organizations - Don't be pressured to immediately donate. It's okay to take your time in researching who you are donating to.
- Be wary of emotional appeals - Marketers will try to pull your heart strings during the holidays, but so will the bad guys. Make sure to diligently research the organization.
- Check with state charity officials - You can check the National Association of State Charity Officials (NASCO) website to verify the charity's validity.
- Avoid charities that don’t disclose - Be more alert of charities that don't disclose where they are donating.
- Rely on standards-based evaluations - Make sure the charities are trustworthy by using certain evaluation templates.
- Research tax status - You can verify the tax status by using the IRS Tax Exemption Organization Search to check an organization's tax status.
For more information on how you can stay safe this holiday season, check out the BBB's free Wise Giving Guide. Year after year the bad guys 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.
