IRS Warns Americans About Increasing Number Of Fake Charity Scams
Without a doubt, we must all be wary of scams nowadays. Criminals have so many different methods of getting us to give them our hard-earned money. Especially now that technology has given scammers the opportunity to remain anonymous while targeting us. Even worse, these fraudsters are becoming more proficient at pretending to be legitimate government agencies or charitable organizations. In fact, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is issuing more warnings about fake charity scams.
The Latest Fake Charity Scams
Whenever there is a disaster or a war raging somewhere in the world, charitable organizations will solicit money to help them give relief to victims. However, scammers are pretending to be legitimate charitable organizations more frequently.
For example, international crises like the Russian-Ukraine conflict or the Israeli-Hamas war have brought the fraudsters out of the closet recently. Sure, they’ll promise to send relief funds, food, and assistance to those victims. But your money will most likely never make it there.
Furthermore, whenever there is a natural disaster, you’ll notice more fake charity scams coming your way. As an illustration, these scammers will often choose fake charity names which are very similar to legitimate charitable organizations. They will certainly try and confuse you. Of course, they will pressure you to wire them cash or give them gift card numbers. These are always tell-tale signs that you’re being scammed. Legitimate charities will never request gift cards or ask you to wire funds.
So, how are these fake charity scams being done? For instance, they may use “phishing” email scams to solicit money. Likewise, they may utilize “smishing” phone text frauds to get your cash or personal information. By the same token, scammers may even phone you. They’re even setting up fake websites which look real. Obviously, fraudsters are getting more and more sophisticated.
Here’s How The IRS Advises You To Protect Yourself
The first thing to remember when a charity solicits funds from you by phone call, email, or text, is that you can easily check and make sure they are legitimate. As a matter of fact, the IRS has a website tool you can use to determine legitimacy. Just visit the “Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) tool on IRS.gov by clicking here.
So, be sure to get the exact name of the charity. Request the exact mailing address and website address as well. Then, check them out using the TEOS tool. Another thing to remember when someone solicits charitable funds or personal information from you is to never give in to pressure. Legitimate charities will never pressure you to give them money or info right now. They’re happy to get a donation anytime. So take the time to check them out, and then give to your heart’s content.
Of course, you should always protect your personal identification information. Also, never click on links, photos, or files in emails or text messages from sources you do not recognize.
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