Thrifty Thinking: Donate Wisely

Adam Levin, Founder of CyberScout and author of "Swiped" says "Many consumers are looking to donate to their favorite charity...but they need to be on high alert for scammers looking to prey on their good will and steal their personal data and cash".

Levin provides these helpful consumer tips to stay one step ahead of the bad guys:

• Never provide personal information including social security number, date of birth, credit card number or address.
• Government agencies will never call to ask for verification of personal information, or to request payment.
• Verify the legitimacy of any email or telephone solicitation by researching the organization or calling the company back.
• Do your due diligence.  Charities can be vetted at by going to give.org, charitynavigator.org, charitywatch.org and guidestar.org.
• Search to see if there are consumer complaints about the charity or bad reviews.
• Be aware of duplicate names and names similar to those of legitimate charities.
• Make sure websites are correct and not clone sites filled with malware looking to steal personal information. Watch for misspellings or improper English.  Look for the HTTPS and lock on the website, which most legitimate sites use for extra security.
• Beware of click baiting on social media.  The headline may look like the perfect cause, but once you click on the link, your device could be infected with malware designed to steal your personal data.
• Most legitimate charity websites end in .org instead of .com
• Never click on attachments and links in unsolicited emails.
• Legitimate charities do not ask for donations in cash, gift cards or pre-paid cards
• If you are the victim of a charity scam, contact the FTC or the Attorney General's office.

ADAM LEVIN

Adam K. Levin is a consumer advocate with more than 30 years of experience and is a nationally recognized expert on cybersecurity, privacy, identity theft, fraud, and personal finance. A former Director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Mr. Levin is Chairman and founder of CyberScout and co-founder of Credit.com.  Adam Levin is the author of Amazon Best Selling Book  Swiped:  How to Protect Yourself in a World Full of Scammers, Phishers and Identity Thieves.