In the season of giving, it’s wise to guard your generosity — especially when donating money or supplies to charities.
“Charity giving goes up around the holidays, and scam artists prey on that,” said John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud for the National Consumers League.
He added that fraudulent donation solicitations also were moving to social networking platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook.
Hackers also send out e-mails that appear to be from legitimate charities. In actuality, they end up as “phishing” schemes, which are designed to extract sensitive information such as credit card and Social Security numbers from unsuspecting donors.
Goodwill, one of the most prominent charities associated with the holiday season, is already warning potential philanthropists to make sure the charities they’re donating to are legitimate.
“At Goodwill, we find that people want to do the right thing by donating gently used items,” said Jim Gibbons, president and chief executive officer of Goodwill Industries International. “Sadly, in the rush of the holiday season, they sometimes drop their unwanted items at the nearest collection bin. It may seem as if they are making a charitable donation, but that is not always the case.
“A good way to go is to give to charities you know and trust,” he continued. “Fraudulent charities can try to trick you by using slightly changed names of established groups, so be sure to carefully read the name of the charity on the bin before giving. And avoid donating to organizations that can’t immediately provide you with information about the causes they are asking you to support.”
To Gibbons’ point, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo declared United Homeless Organization — on the surface, a seemingly legitimate name — as fraudulent last month.
To guard against theft and fraud, the Salvation Army in the Washington area requires proof of income, mortgage or rent receipts, and birth certificates of children when families apply for its Angel Tree program, which provides gifts for needy children.
Indeed, there are undoubtedly more than 12 thieves a-filching out there, and those in the giving spirit may have to be wary to avoid becoming a victim this holiday season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
