Avoid Giving Tuesday scams with these tips from the BBB
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Tuesday is Giving Tuesday, which is when most people donate to charities and organizations. Unfortunately, it’s also a prime time for scammers to target your wallet.
The Better Business Bureau of Central Indiana prepared a list of tips to look for to keep you safe from scammers.
The BBB shared these tips with News 8:
- Never send money to someone you have never met face-to-face.
- Don’t click on links or open attachments in unsolicited email or text messages.
- Don’t believe everything you see or read. Scammers are great at mimicking official seals, fonts, and other details. Just because a website or email looks official does not mean it is.
- Take precautions when making online purchases.
- Be extremely cautious when dealing with anyone you’ve met online.
- Never share personally identifiable information with someone who has contacted you unsolicited.
- Don’t be pressured to act immediately.
- Use secure, traceable transactions when making payments for goods, services, taxes, and debts.
- Whenever possible, work with businesses that have proper identification, licensing, and insurance.
- Be cautious about what you share on social media.
Jennifer Adamany, the director of communications for the BBB of Central Indiana, says it’s hard to track a charity scam because you don’t get a service in return.
“Certainly make sure they are transparent with what they offer. On their website, they should be listing their finances, have access to finances, different programs they support,” Adamany explained.
From Jan. 1 through Sept. 7, the BBB reported 389 charity scams in the U.S. That comes to a total of $78,489 that people were scammed out of their hard-earned money.
Adamany suggests Hoosiers look at the BBB scam tracker to vet a charity and see if it’s legitimate before making the decision to donate. Charities, organizations, and non-profits listed on the scam tracker must meet 20 standards to be accredited by the BBB.
If you think you’ve been scammed, report the scammer to the BBB and the office of the Indiana Attorney General.