The traditional “season of giving” may be over, but many of us (SFG included) intend to give year-round. Cybercriminals target donations, so you need to be careful and make sure your donations are going to the right people. Here are some research tips you can do to help keep yourself secure along your giving journey:

• Look up reviews for specific charities you are interested in giving to. Include keywords like “review” and “scam” in your search to look for any poor behavior of the charity
• Before donating through crowd funding type websites, research the website to find out where the money goes, if there are any fees taken out of your donation (if there are, consider donating directly to the recipient), and how long it will take for the money to get to the recipient.
• Never donate to charity using cash, gift cards or wiring money. These are common scam tactics. It’s a safer bed to use a credit card or check.
• Keep a record of all your donations. This can help you ensure you’re not charged over what you donate, and will also help you come tax season with deductions.
• Here are some websites that outline ratings and reviews of charitable organizations that can help you:
  • BBB Wise Giving Alliance
  • Charity Navigator
  • CharityWatch
  • GuideStar
• Find out if your donation will be tax deductible using the IRS’s Tax Exempt Organization Search

Be sure to look out for signs from scammers, such as the following:

• Rushing you to donate
• Thanking you for a donation you never made, prompting you to pay
• Using charity names that are very similar to legitimate organizations. Do your research!
• Lack of details about how your donation will be used
• Claiming your donation is tax deductible, when in fact it’s not. Again, always do a quick Google search at the very least!

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