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Be wary of charity scams at this time of year.
Charitable giving grew in 2021. According to Blackbaud Institute, a social good innovator, giving not only increased after COVID-19, but actually rebounded more than it had in a decade - increasing in the United States by 9 percent overall.
Annual private philanthropy as a percentage of GDP is about 1.44 percent in the United States.
People tend to give the most to charity at the end of the year.
1. Impersonating another charity
Most philanthropic groups have an online presence in some shape or form. Scammers will replicate the look of the charitable group's website or social media account, or may contact you through email or text to solicit funds. Thinking it is a legitimate charity, you may follow a link to enter donation information.
To avoid this scam, do not click on any links.
2. The hard sell
A legitimate charity is happy to welcome a donation any time you're able to give it. A scam operation may employ a hard sell or a deadline by which the donation must be made. In addition, a fraudulent "charity" might ask for payment only by cash, gift card or wire transfer (because it is difficult to trace), and this should raise a red flag that something is amiss.
3. A thank-you for your donation
AARP warns that some scammers will send you a thank-you for a donation that you supposedly already made to entice you to give again.
4. Cryptocurrency wallet
As methods of making payments change, scam groups often ride the wave. The Federal Trade Commission learned that when the government of Ukraine announced it would be accepting donations to support their efforts via a cryptocurrency wallet, scammers started getting in on the action. But instead of the funds getting sent to the government's wallet, the donations headed to a private wallet.
Always conduct an online search of the wallet address to confirm that money is being sent to the right place. Typically you can't reverse cryptocurrency payments, so due diligence is required.
Individuals need to be extra cautious with charitable giving to avoid common scams.
