Be careful to not donate money to scam charities this holiday season

FROM SCDOR AND SCDCA

Before you pull out your wallet this holiday season, make sure you take heed of tips from the South Carolina Department of Revenue and the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs that will ensure your giving is safe and scam-free.

Be wary of solicitations that ask you to pay in prepaid debit cards, gift cards, wire or bank transfer. Once in the hands of a scam artist, the money is gone and difficult to trace.

Don't give out personal information to someone soliciting a donation. Personal information can be as valuable as cash to a criminal who may try to convince you to part with credit card or bank account data, phone numbers, addresses and more.

Check out charities before donating. Scammers create fake charities before the holidays to trick people out of well-intentioned donations. Look out for charities with names that sound like famous charities but are not. Go to the S.C. Secretary of State's website to see if the charity is registered. You can also call 1-888-242-7484.

Research charities online using words like "scam" and "complaint." You can also check a charity's ratings with BBB Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch and Guidestar.

Use the IRS's Tax Exempt Organization Search to see if your donation is tax-deductible.

Don't assume solicitations on social media or crowdfunding sites are legitimate. Some scammers hijack links to legitimate sites while others may misappropriate donated funds.

To report a concern about a charity or to file a scam complaint:

- Call the S.C. Secretary of State's Division of Public Charities at 1-888-242-7484;

- File a confidential complaint online with the S.C. Secretary of State using their Charitable Solicitation Complaint Form; or

- Call SCDCA's Identity Theft Unit at 1-844-835-5322, or visit www.consumer.sc.gov and click the Identity Theft Unit tab.

For more information, visit www.consumer.sc.gov, www.sos.sc.gov, or www.dor.sc.gov/securitycenter.