Many of us have a good heart and it is unfortunate that some people would make use of our kindness by extracting money for illegitimate purposes. Charity scams are one of the most popular frauds out there and involve marketing themselves as middlemen to official charitable organizations. In order to source out legitimate charities, you can head onto platforms like Charity Navigator, CharityWatch, and GuideStar, which provides a reference to all charities based in the United States. If you’d like to know more about staying vigilant against scams and ensuring that your money goes directly to the people in need, continue reading.
Donating to Actual Charities
We cannot stress enough the importance of doing sufficient research. Always check your sources and go online to find out reviews or recommendations. Big charitable organizations, such as The Salvation Army and National Council on Aging, have a long track record and show their accolades on their websites. This is for a good reason as it helps distinguish them from less-established charities and prove their history and accomplishments. Whenever a tragedy occurs, you’ll notice that new charities will pop up overnight in order to capitalize on people’s desire to help. These are usually fake and should be reported to the Federal Trade Commission.
Being Careful When Donating
Just like with any monetary transaction, it’s crucial to practice caution and be smart to not fall into noticeable traps. Most scammers prefer cash as it does not prove a transactional history. As such, it’s advisable to provide payment through credit cards or cheques, after you have done enough research on the charity, of course. Gift cards should also be avoided. After completing a donation, we recommend keeping a record of all transactions in order to review your statements and ensuring that no amount is deducted recurrently. If payment is made through text, do check the phone number on the charity’s website as some scammers may provide a fraudulent number.
Protect Yourself Against Scam Calls
When it comes to phone calls, there are some ways you can protect yourself against scammers. Scammers would usually rush you to make a donation, so do not be pressured to do so! Official charitable representatives are well-trained and would patiently provide all the details you need to know before requesting payment. As scammers become more technologically advanced, they have also changed their caller ID to reflect the local area code or location where the charity is based. As such, never neglect to do your research and be wary of their tactics.
Why Choose Spring Mill?
You or your loved ones no longer have to worry about safety and security while living in our senior living community. At Spring Mill, we have a strict security measure that only allows authorized personnel, such as family members and recognized individuals, to enter our community. This is to ensure that you or your loved ones can remain in the apartments with peace of mind, as well as roam around and participate in activities without the possibility of getting harassed.
