With so many purchases during the holiday season, it can be easy to miss a fraudulent credit card charge or two — especially if it appears to be from a charity.
But watch out: Strange donation charges are a sign that scammers have your credit card number.
If you review your credit card statement and notice a charitable donation that you don’t remember making., it may not a memory lapse. These phony charity charges are part of a bigger con.
It all started when scammers got your credit card information, which may have been shared in a scam or as part of a data breach. After getting your credit card details, scammers now need to check whether they are valid. To do this, scammers often use charity websites. Charities often don’t have sophisticated fraud protection, so it’s easy for scammers to make a lot of small donations.
When the charges go through, the scammer knows your card details still are valid. Then, they will use your card for bigger purchases.
One person reported to BBB Scam Tracker that after making a purchase from questionable discount website, their debit card “was pinged for fraudulent charges ranging from $2 to $29 then finally $67 for a charity. I’ve had to cancel my debit card, order a new and block my account.”
If you notice strange donation charges, be sure to report them immediately. With about a third of charitable…
