Courtesy of the Pima County Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers, who are thwarting cons by sharing their information on the latest scams to hit the Southern Arizona streets.
The charitable organizations in our community cannot exist without a helping hand from people within. Many kind folks extend a helping hand to those in need with their help, time, and money. The flip side of this is that illicit people see this as a vulnerability, a point of entry for scammers.
The Southwest is not exempt from disasters, plagued with forest fires and tornadoes that allow bogus charities to arise from the debris, under the guise of helping victims.
The urgency to help victims becomes intense with the disaster severity, according to Jacob Parks, JD, Research Specialist in the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners; a word of caution.
If you decide to give money, do the research first. This is not difficult. If you receive an unsolicited call from any charity, ask for a call back number before you give personal or financial information. Do not be intimidated by the caller for an immediate action. Remember, the Red Cross has established a presence. The caller will have to wait while you obtain legitimate information.
Ask a friend who has access to the internet for help or use the computers at the library. Search for charity evaluation sites as Charity Navigator or GIVEWELL. You may also try “charity scams” under Google or Bing sites. Remember that the “urgency factor” and the “just established factor” are red flags, so stop, think, and investigate.
The phone call or letter may be legitimate, but remember to ask for an address because we never give information about bank account numbers or credit card numbers over the telephone.