Scammers are posing as real charities to collect donations and personal details, and checking before you give is the best defense against them.
Scammers are posing as real charities to trick people into handing over money and personal details. A report from AL.com says the schemes often copy the name and logo of a well-known charity, so the request can look familiar and trustworthy at first glance.
Fake charities do not wait for you to find them. They reach out by phone, text, email and social media, and they also set up fake websites. A message that looks like it comes from a cause you already know can lower your guard. The name and logo may be real. The person asking for money is not.
Anyone who gives to charity could be targeted. People who donate by phone, text, email, social media or online fundraising pages are especially exposed, because those are the channels scammers use. If you are generous, you are a likely target.
Pressure to act fast, or to pay in ways that are hard to trace, is a classic sign of a scam.
The steps in the alert box above cover how to protect yourself and what to do if you already paid. The short version: do not respond to a request you did not expect, and look up the charity yourself before giving.
The material does not say how many people have been affected, how much money has been lost, or which charities have been copied. The full article was not available, so details beyond these warning signs are unclear.
Do not give in response to an unexpected request. Look up the charity yourself and donate through its official website.
The Attala County Sheriff's Office in Mississippi says scam calls are reaching residents, and a call that sounds official may not be.
Read more: Mississippi sheriff warns residents about scam phone callsScammers are posing as Texas sheriff's officers and claiming you missed jury duty. Caller ID can show a real police number even when the call is fake.
Read more: Fake jury duty calls spoof a real Texas sheriff's phone numberFake PayPal emails and texts, some posing as a security report, try to get you to tap a link and type your login. Checking your account directly avoids the trap.
Read more: Got a fake PayPal message? Skip its link and check your account yourself
