Scam Alert Saturday!

It’s unfortunate that scammers will utilize good things, like charities, to target their victims. This week’s alert has to do with charity scams. Here is how they work:

Someone contacts you asking for a donation to their charity. It sounds like a group you’ve heard of, it seems real, and you want to help.

But how can you tell what’s a scam?

-Charity scammers, as per usual, want to get your money quickly. They will urge you to donate right away.

-They ask for cash, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers.

-Scammers often refuse to send you information about the charity.

-They won’t answer questions or explain how the money will be used.

-They might even lie and say you already made a pledge to donate.

Here’s how to prevent this scam:

-Take your time and don’t trust your caller ID. Scammers use technology to make any name or number appear on caller ID.

-Tell callers to send you information by mail. Do some research. Is the charity real?

-If callers ask you for cash, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a wire transfer, it’s a scam.

-Pass this information on to a friend!