You Didn't Ask...But : Damn Scam Charities by Brett Matthew West Artwork by cleo85 at FanArtReview.com |
Previously, I have posted other pieces concerning something I despise passionately. SCAMMERS! We all know there are more than plenty of them out there just waiting to pounce on any target stupid enough, yes I said stupid enough, to fall for their gaudy antics.
Let me ask you a question. How familiar are you with Giving Tuesday? This day, the first Tuesday following Thanksgiving, begins for many the celebration of generosity that follows Turkey Day, and is further fueled by the strong desire to deduct charitable contributions by the end of the year. In this case, 2023. Alas, this sentiment can be an overdriven affair for those prone for such activities. Many state and federal consumer watchdogs recommend a person wishing to make charitable donations, particularly at this time of year, use routine precautions with easily completed research to avoid being scammed. Technological gaps may be an easy trap for older contributors to fall to the clutches of fake charities. Some warning signs one is dealing with a scammer, or scam charities for that matter, when contributing to a charity include the famous trio of: -wiring money (typically by Western Union) -donating cash -donating by gift cards (the numbers on the backs of said gift cards) If a charity, or anyone else, demands you contribute in any of these three mannerisms -- RUN! (Away from them as fast as you can, of course.) Scam charities may begin their pitches by saying something along the lines of, "Thanks for your past support." This may leave you wondering, "What past support?" If you cannot recall any such donations, you can almost assuredly bet your Christmas presents you're about to be scammed. Stay away from those chunks of coal. Another ploy scam charities often attempt to use to steal money is to guarantee you will win a prize in exchange for your donation. You sure will...you win the top prize for putting cashola into a scammer's pockets. Congratulations! Not! Keep in mind no legitimate charity makes this promise of you winning a prize in exchange for your contribution. Why? Well, simply stated they are illegal. And, don't fall for, "It's urgent you send your money pronto!" While these are standard scammer words, a legitimate charity will wait for donors to check their legality out. If you do not do so, and you get scammed, WAAH! WAAH! WAAH! That is on you, amigo. Remember, scammers of any ilk can change telephone numbers to appear on Caller ID, yours included, to make the number seem to be a local one. Regardless of these precautions, you are still going to make those charitable contributions. Well, hell's bells, impressive sounding charity names, and ones sounding similar to popular established charities, do not make them legit. Use your web browser to perform a reverse image search of any photographs used on crowdfunding pages claimed to belong to a charity. If those pictures do not match the places, events, and people the crowdfunding campaign claims they represent. Hello! You are being scammed. Yes, it is Christmastime. When it comes to charitable contributions, whoop-de-and do! Don't be swayed by sensational or sentimental appeals for your money. Do ask the charity precisely what your contribution will be used for. Did you know nasconet.org, the website for the National Association of State Charity Officials, will allow you to find charity regulators for all 50 states? You may want to use this website prior to parting with your dollars. Here you go. Check these out: -if a charity provides "thank you" gifts for your donation those add to their fund-raising costs. Might be better to donate directly to the charity and forego their offered gift. -if you are being solicited by telephone, that is almost certainly a paid telemarketer. Another expensive form of fund-raising for charities. -if a charity uses a 900 telephone number to contact you for a donation, guess what? That expensive telephone transmission is automatically billed to -- tada --- YOU! If tax deductions for charity are your bag, not all charities are eligible to receive deductible donations even though a scam charity may claim they are. Wanna check the charity out to see if they qualify to receive deductible donations? Go to the IRS website. Their Tax Exempt Organization search tool will confirm your desired information. Keep a written copy of your donation, or a receipt showing the amount contributed, and review your bank or credit card statement, to verify the charity only took the agreed upon amount and also did not create a recurring donation. Have I even begun to tell you how much I absolutely despise ALL SCAMMERS? A word to the wise if I may. Scammers, and scam charities, abound out there in mortified droves. We all know they do. Blatant buttholes! Do not allow them to ruin your Christmas. You are welcome.
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Brett Matthew West
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