Give Smart Part II: Making Your Donation Count

As the holiday season approaches, many of us are filled with the spirit of generosity. Giving Tuesday, which falls on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving every year, inspires millions to donate to a variety of organizations and causes, from local nonprofits to international humanitarian efforts. Despite generous intentions, navigating online giving while managing cybersecurity risks requires vigilance. With the increase of crowdfunding platforms and the pervasive influence of social media donors must be cautious to ensure their contributions are both impactful and secure.

When hurricanes Helene and Milton pummeled the southeastern United States, New Yorkers and Americans alike acted expeditiously to help those in need. Natural disasters and local charities offer many of us the opportunity to donate to causes that affect us and our loved ones, but malicious actors often prey upon this good nature. While donating online can be fast and convenient for both you and the organization, it is important to take the time to verify that your money is reaching the intended recipient.

Last year’s newsletter listed important steps to keep your information safe while donating, including:

• Do research before you give.
• Verify the charity’s legitimacy.
• Be cautious when paying for your donation online.
• Take appropriate steps if you believe you’ve been scammed.

Below are additional tips to navigate newly emerged and trending threats.

Be cautious with crowdfunding and social media.

• Scammers pretend to collect donations for a known cause using social media.
• If you see a friend share a crowdfunding site, speak with them directly. Their account may have been hacked and it could be a bad actor posting as them.
• Assess the crowdfunding sites policies and procedures. Some sites will evaluate postings asking for help after a large crisis, but others do not!
• Donating directly to someone that you personally know and trust is the safest choice.

Recognize when scammers are using AI.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) appears frequently in technology-related headlines, and with good reason.
• The aftermath of this fall’s hurricanes resulted in an abundance of AI-generated scams. AI-generated images of flooding have accompanied phishing messages to further trick well-meaning people into donating money.
• The realism of AI-generated images is continually improving, so trust your eyes and instincts. AI images still are not perfect; look for overly smooth skin, blurred backgrounds and subjects that do not look realistic. Also look at the hands on any people in the images; they are often contorted or have extra fingers if generated by AI.
• If you are looking for assistance after a disaster, turn to official sources, like State websites or FEMA at disasterassistance.gov.

Do not trust urgency.

• Legitimate charities will not pressure you to hurry and donate to them during the donation transaction. That is a trademark sign you are being scammed. Be extra wary if they also ask you to pay by cash, gift cards, money wire transfer or cryptocurrency.
• If you receive a text from a charity you would like to donate to, contact the charity directly to confirm it’s really them contacting you.
• While certain organizations may do certain fundraising techniques with deadlines, such as donation matching until a certain date, charities worthy of your donation will graciously accept monetary support when it’s possible for you to give. Take your time, and research charities before making your contribution.
• When donating, payment by credit card will offer more protections.

Scammers may reach out first.

• You may receive a text or email thanking you for a donation you never made. This is an effort to try and trick you into paying the scammer. They take advantage of your good nature by sending a link to payment when you reply that you did not donate.
• In addition to contacting targets via text or other online methods, they may even print out materials. Both printed and online attempts to trick donors will look very real.

Use the Tax-Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) tool.

Those interested in making donations should first check the Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) tool on IRS.gov to help find or verify qualified, legitimate charities. With this tool, you can:

• Verify the legitimacy of a charity.
• Check its eligibility to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions.
• Search for information about an organization's tax-exempt status and filings.

As Giving Tuesday and the holiday season approach, remember to consider the cyber risks when deciding how and when to donate to meaningful causes. The rise of online donations, many fueled by recent natural disasters, and the ease of crowdfunding requires an informed approach to giving. By understanding the risks associated with online charitable contributions and implementing best practices for secure transactions, donors can ensure their generosity has a lasting impact.

Additional Resources

Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice: Before Giving to a Charity

BBB Wise Giving Alliance: Give.org

Giving Tuesday

Cyber Habit of the Month

Learn to recognize scams! In particular, learn about cyber criminals’ newest favorite attack: the pig butchering scam. In a pig butchering scam, threat actors will take their time to coerce targets into sending them money. The scammer will convince a potential victim that they know a mutual friend and will slowly build trust. Then, these cybercriminals typically will introduce a fraudulent investment opportunity that promises a quick financial reward. Once the target “invests” by sending the scammer money, they will cut off all contact and disappear without a trace. Pig butchering scams may use elaborate websites or apps to trick you. Remain vigilant, and never respond to unsolicited investment opportunities, as they are often too good to be true.