Politics & Government

IRS Warns Donors of Charity Scams in Wake of Events in Boston and Texas

Expect possible bogus phone and e-mail entreaties following the Boston Marathon bombings and the fertilizer plant explosion in the town of West, south of Dallas, feds say.

 

The Internal Revenue Service issued a warning Friday afternoon to taxpayers in Cupertino, Santa Clara County, and across the United States to avoid charity scams in the wake of events in Boston and in Texas.

"It's sad but true," IRS officials said in a statement. "Following major disasters and tragedies, scam artists impersonate charities to steal money or get private information from well-intentioned taxpayers. Fraudulent schemes involve solicitations by phone, social media, email or in-person."

Find out what's happening in Campbellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Charity scams are possible in Bay Area communities and elsewhere in the U.S. given the magnitude of the Boston Marathon bombings Monday and the fertilizer plant explosion Wednesday that killed at least a dozen people in the town of West, south of Dallas, according to the IRS.

"Scam artists use a variety of tactics,"IRS officials said. "Some operate bogus charities that contact people by telephone to solicit money or financial information. Others use emails to steer people to bogus websites to solicit funds, allegedly for the benefit of tragedy victims."

Find out what's happening in Campbellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Online pitfalls to beware of include fraudulent websites that mimic sites of legitimate charities or use names similar to legitimate charities, according to the IRS. The sites may claim affiliation with legitimate charities to persuade people to send money or provide personal financial information. Scammers can use that information to steal identities and money from victims.

The Internal Revenue Service offered tips to help taxpayers who want to donate to victims of the tragedies at the Boston Marathon and in the town of West, Texas:

  • Donate to qualified charities.  Use the "Exempt Organizations Select Check" tool at IRS.gov to find qualified charities. Only donations to qualified charitable organizations are tax-deductible. A list of legitimate charities is on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website at fema.gov.
  • Be wary of charities with similar names. Some phony charities use names that are similar to familiar or nationally known organizations. They may use names or websites that sound or look like those of legitimate organizations.
  • Don't give out personal financial information. Never give your Social Security number, credit card number, or bank account number and passwords to anyone who solicits a contribution from you. Scam artists use this information to steal your identity and money.
  • Don't give or send cash. For security and tax record purposes, contribute by check or credit card or any other way that provides documentation of the donation.
  • Report suspected fraud. Taxpayers suspecting tax or charity-related fraud should visit IRS.gov and perform a search using the keywords "Report Phishing."

More information about tax scams and schemes is available at www.irs.gov using the keywords "scams and schemes."

 

More on Patch:

  • 'There Are Too Many Kids Killing Themselves'
  • Downtown Campbell Shows Off Its Style
  • Did You Feel That?
  • Campbell PD and Vigilant Neighbor Help San Jose PD Catch Parolee
  • New Homes For Sale in Campbell This Week

 

Don’t be left out of the conversation in Campbell--Get our daily newsletter delivered | Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram | Start a blog


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here