Giving Compass' Take:

• Arthur Bogoraz, writing for Medium, describes how donors can be more cautious when giving by being skeptical of assertive telemarketers, paying attention to websites, and never giving out personal information. 

• How can donors protect each other from known scams that are specifically targeting their wealth group?

• On a similar note, read about how to gauge charity legitimacy. 

Tragedies already leave so many people vulnerable, but it is not just the victims of the tragedy that suffer. Every time a tragedy happens, there are scam artists who wait to take advantage of the people who are trying to give back.

Here is what you can do to keep your money out of the hands of scammers so that it ends up in the hands of the organizations that are truly making a difference:

Be skeptical of assertive telemarketers: If a pushy telemarketer gets in contact with you, ask them questions about their organization and what they do with the money they receive from donors

Pay attention to websites URLs: Scam artists can rebuild a website to look exactly like an authentic one. When you are searching Google or clicking on hyperlinks, make sure to pay attention to every URL to ensure you are donating to the right organization via their authentic website.

Never give out your personal information: If you are unfamiliar with an organization, don’t give out your credit card information until you are positive it is not an imposter website or telemarketer.

Read the full article about avoiding scammers when giving to charity by Arthur Bogoraz at Medium