Many Americans want to help during the COVID-19 pandemic by contributing to charities, but the FBI is warning that scammers also want to help—they want to help themselves to your money.
Nationwide, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies have received reports of scammers fraudulently soliciting donations for individuals, groups, and areas affected by COVID-19. They are leveraging the COVID-19 pandemic to steal your money, your personal information, or both. Don’t let them.
Charity scams often occur when a scammer poses as a real charity or uses the name of a real charity to get money from you.
Be careful about giving money to any charity calling you for donations and be wary if you get a call about a donation pledge that you don’t remember making. Remember, you can’t always believe your caller ID. Scammers often spoof organizations’ phone numbers. It’s always best to research the organization telephone number yourself and call direct to verify. Do not be pressured or rushed to donate. That is a strong indicator of a scam.