Know Who You Give Your Information To!


         Disasters, in one way or another, have become all too common. Sadly, when one occurs, there is a group of people who look to profit from it by stealing the money of well-intentioned people who want to help. Therefore, Fake Charities have made the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) “Dirty Dozen” list for 2019. This is a list of the 12 most common scams that Taxpayer’s will come across during the year. Here are some basic tips to help keep you from falling prey to a scheme like this.

          Be suspicious of any charity that has a name like one that is familiar or nationally known. This is a trick used to make people feel that the bogus organization is truly legitimate. Never give personal information, like passwords or Social Security Numbers to those who are soliciting for donations. They don’t need that information! Confirm that they are from an actual charity before providing any Credit/Debit card numbers. Do not give cash.

          These scams often peak after natural disasters. Criminals will use the methods described above and set up fake websites as a facade for collecting money for victims. Another variation is contacting the victims and impersonating an IRS representative trying to aid in filing a claim or Tax Return. Remember that the end goal is to steal personal information and the identities of Taxpayers. If you feel that a person is not entitled to know this information about you, stop talking to them.

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