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December 2001 Newsletter:
Charity Scams

With the Holiday Season here, each person must be aware of those unscrupulous individuals who intend to take advantage of the prevalent Giving spirit. Before you give your hard earned monies to a worthwhile charity, remember a few major safety guidelines.

1. Charity begins at home. There are local needy charities in your community that you can easily verify their existence by simply visiting.

2. Check the legitimacy of a charity. Charities are usually not-for-profit organizations. You can check their existence, how much is allocated for the cause and maintenance of the charity, and whether or not any complaints have been filed with the American Institute of Philanthropy, Charity Navigator,  Charity Watch, Guidestar, National Charities Information Bureau, and Network for Good. In Florida, you can check at the Gift Givers Guide. Some illegitimate charities use names similar to legitimate charities, so be sure you get the exact name, a physical address (not P.O. Box) and phone number.

3. Do not fall prey to emails that you know are unsolicited (spam) or question whether you subscribed to their mailing list or not. Sometimes the senders of these emails will accept your credit card number and/or your money for fraudulent purposes. They can also make a webpage look like a charity's webpage except that the locator (http://) will be different. Legitimate charities do not send unsolicited emails (email where you did not subscribe to be included in their mailing list).

4. Avoid any charities that employ pressure or guilt tactics.

5. Do not give your credit card or social security numbers in an email (or over the phone when you did not initiate the communication).

6. Do not make your check payable to an individual. Always make your check payable to the legal name of the organization.

There is no clear cut way to definitely avoid all scams because new, innovative schemes appear constantly but you will considerably reduce your chances of becoming a victim if you take the time to follow these general guidelines. Also watch out for emails circulating that are trying to prey on your good nature in the name of patriotism, the Afghan children, or the victims of the 911 Disaster.

Remember the basic rules of internet safety that considerably reduce your chances of an online problem. Refer to the Safety Guide for a quick review. Make this a family or office practice. Constant repetition will make this chore into an everyday practice.