Dreaming of becoming a philanthropist, patron, or investor in a charity fund, it's not uncommon to encounter the risk of dealing with fraudsters who have created a charity fund and want to enrich themselves at the expense of naive contributors.
Charity Fund Scams
Charity fund scams are not a new type of fraud on the planet. Although many people are aware of this, there are still victims who periodically fall into the networks of scammers engaged in fake charity.
Scammers often claim to collect money for sick children, disabled people, and large families as a pretense for charity - this is always false. To appear more credible, scammers work in an organized manner, with even fake representatives who allegedly need charitable assistance.
Signs of Fake Charity
There is no information about the fund from official sources;
- the fund's website is fake;
- the company has no contact details, contacts, and social media, or if it does, the information is not updated;
- the website is filled with error-ridden information, has poor-quality images, and a cheap design.
These are the first signs of a fake fund.
Upon noticing these signs, one should not trust such a charity fund - this could lead to all investors being deceived, and the money not going to the specified purpose, leaving not only a bitter aftertaste but also the realization that the person was deceived, and the next time someone genuinely needs help, they won't be able to trust and donate money.
How Not to Become a Scam Victim
To avoid becoming a scam victim, you'll need to work independently, spending time researching the charity organization, monitoring it, and using the knowledge of others, reviews, and comments. This will help you find a genuinely suitable honest charity organization to donate to, or use only verified organizations and donate there.
If there's a desire to invest in a new unknown fund, there are several ways to check it.
First of all:
- search for it in the social networks of the charity fund, study its background, visit the organization's website where all the information about it can be found;
- pay attention to the quality of the website;
- reliability can be ensured by the presence of documents allowing voluntary or charitable activities.
Fake Charitable Organizations
The authenticity of a charitable organization can be checked using websites that list organizations exempt from taxes. These programs can verify the legitimacy of a charity fund, find out if it has the right to organize and receive charitable contributions, and also find out the status of the organization, which is exempt from taxes and has the appropriate documents and permissions. If such documents are missing, it is obvious that the organization is fraudulent and not aimed at helping those in need.
Fake charitable organizations have signs that need to be checked:
- first, pay attention to the company's name, scammers often use well-known names and brands to lure benefactors;
- do not succumb to the psychological pressure that scammers exert, often demanding immediate investment or payment, real charitable organizations do not do this, they are grateful for any contribution at any time;
- do not give more money than agreed, as this will attract even more scammers and make it clear to the fraudsters that you have incomes they want to take away;
- pay close attention to how donations are requested, offering to make them via gift cards, personal cards, or money transfers;
- it is safe to make transactions to bank accounts when you have information about the authenticity of the charity fund.
How to Distinguish a Real Fund from Scammers
To truly invest in an honest and truthful charitable organization, remember that official companies, unlike fake ones, have an official account to collect contributions. Scammers, however, often use collections for the fund on a personal card.
Charity and Fraud
Charity and fraud have always been closely linked because charity is a tempting target for scammers, and very often, honest charitable organizations that genuinely do good deeds suffer.
Scammers are always looking for a way to make easy money, using methods to attract investors, and without putting in any effort to earn money honestly, scammers simply take the investment.