Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg
Scammers are using fake charities in the wake of
"You should never feel pressured by solicitors to immediately give to a charity," said Commissioner Danny Werfel in a statement from the IRS, which issued the warning. "Verify if they're authentic first."
Tips to verify charities and spot fake ones:
- Scammers frequently use names that sound like well-known charities to confuse people. Fake charity promoters may also use bogus emails or fake websites or alter or "spoof" their caller ID to make themselves look like a real charity. Ask the fundraiser for the charity's name, website and mailing address. Check the
Tax-Exempt Organization Search tool on IRS.gov to help find or verify legitimate charities. - Never work with charities that ask for donations by giving numbers from a gift card or wiring money. It's safest to pay by credit card or check, and only after verifying the charity is real.
- Scammers want both money and personal information. Never disclose Social Security numbers, credit card numbers or personal identification numbers
- Scammers often pressure people into making an immediate payment. In contrast, legitimate charities are happy to get a donation at any time.
The IRS has other background on its
