Cybercriminals don’t care if you’ve been nice — or trying to do good for those in need this holiday season.
But New York State Division of Consumer Protection has some advice on how to avoid charity scams by these cybergrinches — who often pose as a legitimate charity in order to steal your money.
Charity scams can happen at any time, but they are more prevalent during the holiday season or after a natural disaster or emergencies collecting millions of dollars from unsuspecting donors. On many occasions, these fraudsters pretend to be affiliated with well-known organizations or even the government to scam people out of their money.
The Federal Trade Commission said about 2.8 million people nationwide reported being victims of someone pretending to be a trusted charity source in 2021 causing loses of about $2.3 billion.
Tips and advice on avoiding charity scams:
• Check the legitimacy of the charitable organization. Research the charity by searching the New York State Attorney General’s online database of registered charities at www.charitiesnys.com, as well as the charity’s own website. If donating toward relief efforts after a natural disaster, check the website www.disasterphilanthropy.org.
• Learn how to detect a phony charity. Some scammers will try to trick you with similar names of well-known charities. Pay attention to the charity’s name, web address, logos and more. Scammers often mimic the names of familiar, trusted organizations to fool…
