Planning To Donate On Giving Tuesday? Don’t Fall Victim To Charity Scams

ANNAPOLIS, MD (WJZ) — As Giving Tuesday nears and radical donate to charity, Maryland officials are informing would-be donors astir a communal scam that crops up each year.

The Tuesday aft Thanksgiving isn’t conscionable a time wherever radical commonly springiness back. It’s besides known arsenic a time erstwhile illegitimate charities interaction radical retired of the bluish successful an effort to instrumentality vantage of their generosity.

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That’s wherefore Maryland Secretary of State John Wobensmith and Attorney General Brian Frosh are asking residents to support their defender up and look retired for imaginable reddish flags.

“There are Marylanders crossed the authorities who beryllium connected the generosity of donors for basal needs,” Secretary Wobensmith said. “And portion we are grateful to our reputable charities, we impulse our citizens to beryllium an alert for scam artists who instrumentality vantage of unsuspecting donors.”

Most of the reddish flags surrounding dubious charitable causes revolve astir a deficiency of verification. In airy of that, officials urge that donors probe and verify that charities are the existent woody earlier making donations.

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“We are committed to connecting Maryland’s donors with tools and tips connected however to springiness wisely,” said Attorney General Frosh. “Maryland is location to a fig of nonprofit organizations worthy of your generous donation. As we attack the vacation season, it is important to beryllium prepared and bash your probe earlier donating.”

Here are immoderate tips to assistance you debar falling unfortunate to a foundation scam connected Giving Tuesday:

• Research charities to cheque that they are real;
• Avoid charities that won’t reply your questions;
• Never marque payments oregon donations implicit the phone;
• Check if the foundation is registered with the Maryland Secretary of State.

Additional tips from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office can beryllium recovered here.

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CBS Baltimore Staff