It’s scary to read that identity theft is on the rise, with over 10 million cases of stolen identity in the past year!
One of the most popular and successful forms is the use of fake charities. Do some research on a charity before you send it money. Google it. You could be duped into contributing more than just your contribution. You could end up giving the thieves enough of your personal information to become a victim of identity theft.
Once a thief has your identity (name, address, phone number, account numbers, security codes, etc.), s/he is able to set up new accounts and make purchases in your name. Such activity can be financially devastating to you and could take months to straighten the problems out.
How does one keep from becoming a victim? Be very cautious of those who contact you by telephone or e-mail. You could receive an e-mail from a charity with a name you think you recognize. Many scam artists are very clever at making up names that make you feel you might already know the charity. Their causes always sound good, such as “save the whales”, “help poor kids in Africa”, help abused animals. Once they hit one of your hot buttons and you reply, they may be on the road to easy money….your money.
For example, if you get an e-mail from “Doctors Across Africa”, you may mistake it for the legitimate “Doctors Without Borders”. The e-mail may do a good job of convincing you that this charity assists thousands who would have no medical help except for generous people such as you. The e-mail has a link to their Internet website which looks very professional and official. It may contain photos of all the excellent work being done by these non-existent doctors. But most important, the site will ask you for your credit card number, maybe even the three-digit security code, and your name and mailing address so they can mail you a receipt for your tax deduction. By the time you push the “submit” button, you may have given them all they need to steal your identity.
Stay alert for charity scams, or your desire to help just might result in having your identity stolen.