The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released a warning to consumers regarding fake charity scams related to last week’s mass shooting in Orlando, Florida. In the statement, the IRS recommends consumers to pursue well-known charitable groups.
IRS advises donors to follow these tips and precautions in order to avoid donating to a false charity:
- Only donate to well-known charities
- Use the IRS website search feature, Exempt Organizations Select Check, to find qualified (and sometimes tax-deductible) charities.
- Do not release any personal financial information, such as Social Security numbers, credit card information, bank account access, passwords, etc. to anyone who requests a contribution.
- In order to document the donation, avoid using cash. Contributing by check or credit card instead.
- Avoid being scammed by false organizations that use names, websites, and email addresses that are similar to well-known organizations.
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Taxpayers suspecting fraud by email should report phishing on IRS.gov.