GREENSBORO, N.C. — Giving Tuesday is a great way to remember the reason for the season. Whether it's giving your time or money to charitable causes.
Unfortunately, even during a time of giving there are people out there who will try to capitalize off your good deeds.
Scammers know this is one of the biggest giving days of the year, and if you're not careful you could be a scammer's next victim and not even know it.
In 2021 Giving Tuesday broke a record with donors giving almost $3 million.
It's important you know you're donating to a real cause. It’s recommended you verify the group is legitimate before donating. You can do this through the Better Business Bureau and charity navigator.
Charity Navigator uses a ranking system. You only want to give to non-profits with a score of 90 or higher. The higher the score the better the money is being used.
Ron Pierce is a cyber security expert with Trinity Solutions Inc. He said there are two main ways scammers are targeting folks.
“People are responding to links on their phone or a pop-up on their computer that directs them to a fraudulent website," Pierce said. "Another thing we're seeing that you need to be careful about is people starting gofundme pages. If you happen to see it's going to a particular person and not the organization it goes as it says directly to that individual.”
Before donating don't be afraid to ask the organization questions like how your donation will help the organization.
If you are pressured to give it's a red flag. Legit charities will be happy to get a donation at any time.
Be wary of how the donation is made, don't give to organizations that ask for gift cards or wire money payments.
It’s best to go directly to the charity's website to donate. Pierce said donations should only be made with a credit card or with a temporary debit card number.
"When making this donation you want to use a credit card. Because if you are for some reason at a scam site or you have fallen victim it's a lot easier to reverse a credit card charge than it is to try to get your money back through the bank," Pierce said.
If you just so happen to get scammed contact your bank's fraud department immediately.
There are tons of legit charities you can donate to. Click here for a list of local organizations you can support.