The holidays often incite the spirit of giving, which is what many of us love about this time of year. Not just giving to our loved ones, but also giving to non-profit organizations that mean the most to our families. So it makes sense that there’s always an increase in charity events, phone calls soliciting donations, social media posts, and emails from our favorite organizations during the holidays.
We all want to give. However, we must be careful. Did you know charity scams are one of the most common forms of money scams? Here are some tips to make sure you are donating to a legitimate charity and not a fake one:
- Do your research before you donate
- Confirm the charity website and research the leadership team
- Beware of organizations that ask for money via cash, wires, bitcoin/cryptocurrency, and/or purchasing gift cards
- Try calling the charity’s phone number
- Confirm the charity’s public social media channels