Don’t Be Charitable to Identity Thieves!

December holidays are just around the corner. Many Americans choose this time of year to be generous to others. Most charities are legitimate and deserving of support. But, scam charities are out there and thrive by lying about the percentage of donations used for charitable purposes. Some may simply pocket all the money.

Identity thieves are also aware that charitable giving is much higher in December than in any other month and are all too ready to exploit it.

Here are some tips to protect you and your family against identity thieves who will take advantage of your generosity:

• Never give in response to unsolicited telephone calls asking for donations. You can never be sure with whom you’re dealing. If you may be interested in giving, ask the caller to mail you information about the charity.​
• Be on guard against any charitable solicitation that asks you for your personal information, such as a birthdate or Social Security Number. Legitimate charities will rarely ask for a birthdate and no legitimate charity would ask for your Social Security Number.
• Research charities before giving. Go to www.give.org -- the Better Business Bureau’s charity rating guide. It is a great service that can tell you if the charity is accredited by the BBB and about the percentage of donations that go to the charitable program as opposed to fundraising costs.
• Be wary of online crowd source fundraising. Some may be legitimate, others are not. Giving to a crowd source fundraiser is risky as it is more difficult to check out the charity and donations may not be tax deductible
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Giving to charity makes you feel good and does good for others. It should be a win-win proposition. By doing your research and giving wisely, you can be assured that your charitable dollars will help others and that you won’t end up becoming a victim of identity theft.