The end of the year holiday season is often when we feel most compelled to help those less fortunate. There are many organizations that depend on our generosity to make things brighter for others, but unfortunately there is no shortage of people hoping you don’t check up on them too closely because they have no intention to take your donation other than to grift your money for themselves.
Before you pull out your wallet for holiday giving, the South Carolina Department of Revenue and the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs offer these tips to make your giving safe and scam free.
Be wary of solicitations that ask you to pay in prepaid gift or debit cards, wire or bank transfer.
Once in the hands of a scam artist, the money is gone and difficult to trace.
Don’t assume solicitations on social media or crowdfunding sites are legitimate.
Some scammers hijack links to legitimate sites, while others may misappropriate donated funds.
Check out charities before donating.
Scammers create fake charities before the holidays to trick people out of donations. Look out for charities with names that sound like famous charities but are not. Go to the SC Secretary of State’s website to see if the charity is registered. You can also call 1-888-242-7484.
Research charities online using words such as “scam” and “complaint.”
You can also check a charity’s ratings with BBB Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch and Guidestar.
Don’t give out personal information to someone soliciting a donation.
Personal information can be as valuable as cash to a criminal, who may try to convince you to part with credit card or bank account data, phone numbers, addresses, and more.
You can use the IRS’s Tax Exempt Organization Search to see if your donation is tax-deductible.
To report a concern about a charity or to file a scam complaint:
- File a confidential complaint online with the SC Secretary of State using the Charitable Solicitation Complaint Form
- Call the SC Secretary of State’s Division of Public Charities at 1-888-242-7484
- Call SCDCA’s Identity Theft Unit at 1-844-835-5322, or visit sc.gov and click the Identity Theft Unit tab
For more details, visit:
- South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (consumer.sc.gov)
- SC Secretary of State Mark Hammond (sos.sc.gov)
- SCDOR Security Center (dor.sc.gov/securitycenter)
Source: SCDOR and South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs
