In the aftermath of Hurricanes Milton and Helene, the IRS this week warned taxpayers that criminals set up fake charities to gather sensitive personal and financial data from unsuspecting donors responding to natural disasters or other tragic events.
Anyone who wants to make financial donations should first check the Tax-Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) tool on IRS.gov to find or verify qualified, legitimate charities, the IRS said.
“Many people want to help survivors and their families by donating to charities,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel on Tuesday. “Too often, criminals take advantage of would-be donors’ kindness by stealing money and personal information from well-meaning taxpayers. You should never feel pressured by solicitors to immediately give to a charity. It’s important to do the research to verify if they’re authentic first.”
With the online TEOS tool, people can:
- Verify the legitimacy of a charity,
- Check its eligibility to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions, and
- Search for information about an organization’s tax-exempt status and filings.
The IRS offers these additional tips:
- Always verify. Scammers frequently use names that sound like well-known charities to confuse people. Fake charity promoters may use emails, fake websites, or alter or “spoof” their caller ID to make it look like a real charity is calling to solicit donations. Potential donors should ask the fundraiser for the charity’s name, website, and mailing address so they can independently confirm the information. Use the TEOS tool to verify if an organization is a legitimate tax-exempt charity.
- Be cautious about how a donation is requested. Never work with charities that ask for donations by giving numbers from a gift card or by wiring money. That’s a scam. It’s safest to pay by credit card or check — and only after verifying the charity is real.
- Don’t share too much information. Scammers are on the lookout for both money and personal information. Never disclose Social Security numbers, credit card numbers or personal identification numbers.
- Don’t give in to pressure. Scammers often pressure people into making an immediate payment. In contrast, legitimate charities are happy to get a donation at any time. Donors should not feel rushed.
- The IRS encourages individuals who encounter a fake or suspicious charity to see the FBI’s resources on Charity and Disaster Fraud.
