Mr. Rodgers famously said: “Look for the helpers.”

I’d add : But look closely before you send them money.

Today is Giving Tuesday, which is last and possibly the least well known in the chain of shopping holidays starting with Black Friday.  Giving Tuesday, if you’re not familiar, is marketed as a special day to donate to non-profits, charities, arts organizations, and humanitarian aid organizations. Which is wonderful, non-profits really need the extra support!

Unfortunately, there are always scammers out there looking for ways to get people to send them money, and posing as a charity or aid organization is a great way to do it.

Especially on Days of Giving, like today; or during humanitarian crises such as war or natural disaster,

when emotions are high and people want to help.

As an example, the FBI recently released a public service announcement warning against a wave of charity fraud cases surrounding the Israel HAMAS conflict, which not only included the usual shady “charities” soliciting donations, but also:

• a scheme on social media directing people toward a website that would give visitors malware AND ask for cryptocurrency donations.
• legitimate emails of victims being hacked or spoofed to send out emails asking for donations.
• terrorist organizations setting up fake charities for fundraising purposes – with websites asking for funds for charitable purposes and websites asking for funds to support terrorism funneling to the same payment processor.

I wish this example was unusual, but it’s not. Similar warnings came out around the height of the crisis in Ukraine, in the aftermath of the massive earthquakes in Turkey, and so on.  Often, it’s not even on a global scale, it may come in the form of someone crowdfunding donations to, say, help a local person involved in a high-profile accident or something that’s been on the news, with their medical bills… only that money never makes it to the family.

Not only does this kind of fraud harm the individuals who just want to help and got fooled, but it harms the real organizations who rely on donations and the causes they embrace. These scams cause real harm.

 How can I protect myself from fake charities?

• Do your Research! Stick with organizations you are already familiar with, or thoroughly research a new one online. Look for reviews, posts, or news articles linking the organization to fraud, and do some online snooping on the leadership and the individuals asking for donations.
• Look extra hard at those using crowdfunding sites, they are a common haven for fraud.
• Don’t scan QR codes on websites seeking donations.
• Double-check the URL of the page you are on, and make sure it begins with “HTTPS” or a lock symbol. Sites starting with “http” may not be secure.
• Do not share personal information with or send payments to unknown people or groups asking for humanitarian aid.

If you think you are a victim of online fraud, file a report with the FBI:

FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

https://www.ic3.gov/