Spring usually marks the beginning of natural disaster season in the U.S. Disasters such as tornadoes and floods, in turn, typically trigger solicitations by fake charities. Fraud perpetrators may, for example, call, text or email, claiming to represent a nonprofit that provides relief services. Or they may set up bogus websites similar to those of reputable organizations. Before donating to any charity, use the IRS’s Tax Exempt Organization Search (https://bit.ly/3NvWmjd ) to verify its legitimacy and learn whether your contribution may be tax-deductible. Don’t provide financial information to unsolicited callers or senders, or donate to door-to-door solicitors you don’t know.
