BIRMINGHAM-FBI Birmingham is warning the public about charity fraud, where scammers set up fake charities to take advantage of your kindness and line their pockets. While these scams can occur at any time, they are especially prevalent after damaging events like hurricanes, flash floods, forest fires and during the holiday when generosity is at its highest. Legitimate charities aid communities affected by these events, but the scammer competes with these legitimate charities to divert your donations away from those who need it most, and back to the fake charity’s creator.
“Scammers often use compassion as a tool,” said David R. Fitzgibbons, special agent in charge of the FBI Birmingham Division. “By staying alert and verifying charities before we give, we safeguard our support for those who truly need it.”
Charity fraud scams can come in many forms: emails, social media posts, crowdfunding platforms, cold calls, etc. Always use caution and do your research when you’re looking to donate to charitable causes.
The following tips can help you avoid these schemes:
- Never let anyone rush you into donating.
- Give to established charities or groups whose work you know and trust. Don’t assume the charity you have seen on social media or online is legitimate, even it if was sent to you by a friend.
- Be aware of organizations with copycat names or names similar to reputable organizations.
- Do your research. Use the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) resources to examine the track record of a charity.
- Give using a check or credit card. If a charity or organization asks you to donate through cash, gift card, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer, it’s probably a scam.
- Check the website’s address—most legitimate charity organization websites use .org, not .com.
- Check the hyperlinks in emails by hovering the mouse cursor over them to see if it’s going to a legitimate charity organization prior to clicking on them.
If you believe you’ve been the victim of a charity scheme or other cyber fraud activity, please contact FBI Birmingham at (205) 326-6166. Victims are also highly encouraged to file a complaint with the FBI at ic3.gov and with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
For more information on charity and disaster scams, visit: https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/charity-and-disaster-fraud
Media Release/FBI Birmingham
