The response to our first blog post on Internet Scams was overwhelmingly positive. The post is popping up all over the net and is being forwarded like crazy! What this means is that people are protecting others who may be vulnerable to a scammer’s finely polished con game.
With all the contact MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO has with Federal, Provincial and municipal government employees, representatives, and policy makers in both the US and Canada, as well as ties to autism and disability organizations worldwide, one of our main objectives it to continue to provide useful and factually correct information to those who follow us online be it on our blog, via social networks or elsewhere on the Internet.
As we said in our previous blog entry, we have quite a bit to say about internet scams and the high price people pay when they do not perform the DUE DILLIGENCE necessary regarding the causes to which they donate. This post will provide supplementary information on a very important subject, the basics of which were covered in our first post.
Again we remind you that people on the Autism spectrum are particularly vulnerable to internet scams, internet bullying, threats, and intimidation. We’ve even heard of cases where people on the spectrum were threatened with blackmail by individuals involved in fundraising if the Spectrumite continued to ask questions and investigate the cause and the persons and/or organizations in charge of the fundraising.
In such circumstances, we recommend contacting your own legal representative to see if it warrants discussing the matter further with law enforcement officials with the intent of filing charges.
Now getting back to the main topic …
We believe it was important to tell our readers a little bit more about what the Federal Trade Commission says about Charitable Scams, and we will continue to use the Haiti disaster as an example since so many Internet scams have sprung up since the horrible tragedy occured earlier this month.
We’ll begin by saying that the people in Haiti are hurting very badly and they absolutely need as much assistance as can be provided to them. In our last blog post, we listed out three of the many ways that people can donate safely to the cause, knowing that, in all good conscience, the money is definitely going to help the Haitians in their time of great need. There are certainly other safe ways to donate than the ones we listed and we encourage people to conduct Due Diligence once they have found an organization that fits with your beliefs.
The following information comes directly from the United States Federal Trade Commission website. The FTC is the American consumer protection agency for those who are unfamiliar with the organization. Unless otherwise noted by MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO, all of the information excerpted herein is strictly that of the FTC.
When you are considering donating your money, services or products to a charity or a cause, the most obvious warning signs include, but are not limited to, the following:
1) the organization or individual refuses to provide written information about its identity, its mission, its costs, and how the donation will be used;
2) the organization or individual will not provide proof that a contribution is tax deductible;
3) the organization or individual uses a name that closely resembles that of a better-known, reputable organization;
4) the organization or individual thanks a potential donor for a pledge the person doesn’t remember making;
5) the organization or individual asks a potential contributor for bank account or credit card information before the person has reviewed the organization’s information and agreed to contribute;
6) the organization or individual uses high-pressure tactics to secure a donation before the potential donor has had a chance to make an informed decision about giving;
7) the organization or individual asks for donations in cash;
8) the organization or individual offers to send a courier or overnight delivery service to collect the donation immediately; and/or
9) the organization or individual guarantees sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution.
MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO adds that if you observe people representing a cause or a charitable organization try to obscure, obliterate, or spam off the net, etc., any questions or complaints about the cause or the organizers’ tactics, the charity itself or the cause ought to be regarded with suspicion. For instance, in reviewing blogs, message boards, et al associated with a cause, look for deleted posts about the charity or cause while glowing comments from the people working towards the success of the fundraiser still stand.
To continue with what the FTC says on the subject:
All reputable charitable organizations and organizers of fundraisers are known for what is termed ”good practices.” Whether you are contacted by telephone, mail, online, via social networks, or in person, the employees — be they volunteers or professional fundraisers — will answer any and all of your questions to your satisfaction or they will put you in contact with someone within the organization or cause who can provide you with the correct and factual information.
While current events and disasters make a compelling case for soliciting your money, be wary of organizers that seem to come up out of nowhere. While some may be reputable, it’s doubtful that they have the infrastructure to get the donations to the affected area or people. Still others are defintely disreputable, and they will disappear as quickly with your money as they appeared on the scene when the current event or disaster occurred.
Always ask for physical contact information including the name of the contact person, physical address, and telephone number where any and all questions can be answered to your satisfaction.
Check to see if the charity or fundraiser must be registered in your area by contacting the office that regulates charitable organizations and charitable solicitations. If so, check to see if the company you’re talking to is registered. For a list of state offices, visit the National Association of State Charity Officials at www.nasconet.org/agencies.
Your state office also can verify how much of your donation goes to the charity, and how much goes to fund raising and management expenses. You also can check out charities with the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance and GuideStar.
Don’t be shy about asking who wants your money. Some charities hire professional fundraisers for large-scale mailings, telephone drives, and other solicitations, rather than their own staff or volunteers. They use a portion of the donations to pay the fundraiser’s fees.
If you’re solicited for a donation, ask if the caller is a paid fundraiser, who they work for, and the percentage of your donation that will go to the charity and to the fundraiser. If you don’t get a clear answer -— or if you don’t like the answer you get -— strongly consider donating to a different organization.
Contact the organization or research — via reputable newspaper articles – any individual who is to benefit from your donation. Confirm that the recipient is aware of the solicitation and, in the case of an organization, that it has authorized the use of its name when soliciting funds. If not, you may be dealing with a scam artist.
Watch out for similar sounding names. Some phony charities use names that sound a lot like those of legitimate, reputable organizations. For example, if you are contacted by someone claiming to be raising funds for the “Red Crosses” rather than the “Red Cross” there is intent to mislead on the part of the fundraiser. If you notice a small difference from the name of the charity you intend to deal with, call the organization and alert them to this problem. They have legal representatives who can, and will, take on the phony charity.
Make a note on your desk or wall calendar when you donate. That way, if and when a fundraiser contacts you again, you have easy access to the date of your last donation. If you recently donated to an organization, and you are being asked to donate again, use common sense to determine if this is merely a mix up in contact lists or if you are being scammed by a con artist alleging to work on behalf of the organization.
Additionally, sometimes callers may try to trick you by thanking you for a pledge you didn’t make. If you don’t remember making the donation or don’t have a record of your pledge, resist the pressure to give.
Be cautious of promises of guaranteed sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution or payment of a “fee” to cover legal expenses, taxes, or any other associated costs. According to U.S. and Canadian law, you never have to give a donation nor do you have to pay a “fee” in order to be eligible to collect your sweepstakes winnings.
Be wary of charities offering to send a courier or overnight delivery service to collect your donation immediately.
For those who tend to be naive, discuss the donation being considered with a trusted family member or friend before committing the funds. The time to talk about it is BEFORE you donate. If, however, you have been duped, talking with a trusted family member or friend means you may be able to recoup your money by involving the local authorities.
Know the difference between “tax exempt” and “tax deductible.” Tax exempt means the organization doesn’t have to pay taxes. Tax deductible means you can deduct your contribution on your federal income tax return.
Do not send or give cash donations. Cash can be lost or stolen. If you are being scammed, a cash donation cannot be accounted for or traced. If it cannot be accounted for or traced, it also cannot be recovered. For security and tax record purposes, it’s always best to pay by check and for the check to be made payable to the charity ONLY.
Unless you have a long standing business relationship with the organization, it is best to keep your credit card in your wallet. Once you have given out your credit card number to a scammer, you may find a number of unexpected purchases and cash advances charged to your account.
Take your time. Resist the urge to “act now.” Most any offer that is good today will be good tomorrow. If you miss out on an offer because it truly is only good today, accept that this offer — as with all offers — will be offered again at a later date.
Rate the risks. Every potentially high-profit investment is a high-risk investment. That means you could lose your investment — all of it.
Read the small print. Get all promises in writing and read all paperwork before making any payments or signing any contracts. Pay special attention to the small print.
“Free” means free. Throw out any offer that says you have to pay to get a gift or a “free” gift. If something is free or a gift, you don’t have to pay for it. Period.
Report fraud. If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, report it. It’s one way to get even with a scam artist who cheated you. By reporting your complaint to 1-877-FTC-HELP or ftc.gov, you are providing important information to help law enforcement officials track down scam artists and stop them!
And finally, we would like to thank the many people who have supported us by forwarding “The Price of Internet Scams” via Twitter, Blogger, WordPress, MySpace, Facebook, and other reputable social networks as well as via websites such as The Netted Web, Tap Canada Blog, Alimustikasari, and the U.S. Major League Soccer website.
If you believe an organization may not be operating for charitable purposes, or is making misleading solicitations, contact your state Attorney General or your local consumer protection agency. You can get the phone numbers for these organizations in your phone book, through directory assistance, or through Web directories.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them.
To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
We have been told by many that it is indeed in the interest of people on the spectrum to pass this information along in order to put as many people as possible in the know about Internet Scams. Many people on the autism spectrum fall prey to these scams because of a natural inability to successfully navigate the social maze; their own naivete and honesty creates a mindset where it is virtually impossible for these spectrumites to ferret out duplicity when it presents itself.
MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO therefore invites bloggers and website owners to re-post any of our blog entries provided that MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO, Thomas Taylor, and Elyse Bruce are credited with the authorship along with a link back to the original blog entry. If you read a blog written by someone on the spectrum, be sure to ask them to copy and paste this blog entry as well as “The Price of Internet Scams.”
We would like to thank WrongPlanet.net for spearheading the way in this endeavor. MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO was pleased when we discovered that WrongPlanet.net twittered The Price of Internet Scams. When we last checked, WrongPlanet.net had over 30,000 subscribers.
MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO adds that if people try to compel you to share with them your password to e-mail accounts, bank accounts, or other personal accounts, these people are not acting in your best interest and may be involved in unscrupulous practices. Some of them will do so under the guise of being your ‘friend’ in order to gain your trust so they can achieve their goal of securing your private and confidential personal information. Refuse to co-operatie and be sure to report them to the authorities.
There is a significant amount of crime on the internet. Be wary, and surf safely. The price of unscrupulous internet solicitations is high.
Pass it on!
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