Beware of Donating to Fake Charities

One of the most popular scams that groups try to pull on unsuspecting tax payers is setting up a fake charity. Taxpayers believe they are donating to a legitimate charity when it is just a site setup to steal money from honest people. Taxpayers need to do the proper research before they make a donation to make sure that it is a real charity. Many times scammers will take advantage of a natural disaster. You will receive an email right after the disaster that appears to be from a legitimate charity such as the Red Cross but it is actually just a fake site made to look like the Red Cross.

Another helpful hint is to never give out your personal information, such as your social security number, to anyone soliciting a donation. If the person is a scammer then giving out your personal information may lead to identity theft.

The IRS offers a link to help find a legitimate charity:

http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Exempt-Organizations-Select-Check

Please make sure to consult your tax advisor on all the above information and “Like” us Facebook to receive helpful tax updates and your chance to win gift certificates to great local restaurants, www.facebook.com/veseyandcompany.