IRS warns Americans to beware of CHARITY SCAMS following Hurricanes Helene and Milton

10/22/2024 / By Ramon Tomey

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has warned Americans of charity scams that prey on the general public following the onslaught of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The tax agency issued this warning in a statement issued on Oct. 15. According to the IRS, fraudsters have been exploiting the generosity of individuals looking to help disaster victims. The criminals do this by soliciting donations through fake charitable organizations.

However, these schemes aren’t just simply for pilfering donations. The IRS warned that such scams are also designed to harvest personal and financial data from unsuspecting Americans. This, in turn, opens the door to identity theft and other types of fraud.

“Many people want to help survivors and their families by donating to charities. Too often, criminals take advantage of would-be donors’ kindness by stealing money and personal information from well-meaning taxpayers,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel.

“You should never feel pressured by solicitors to immediately give to a charity. It’s important to research to verify if they’re authentic first.”

To this end, the IRS gave several key pieces of advice. First, potential donors were reminded to be wary of high-pressure solicitations to avoid getting scammed.

Second, would-be donors should verify if a charity is legitimate by using the IRS’ Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) tool. According to the Epoch Times, the TEOS tool “lets individuals verify a charity’s tax-exempt status and ensure it is qualified to receive tax-deductible donations.”

Third, the IRS advised taxpayers to avoid giving out sensitive personal information like Social Security numbers or credit card details.

Fourth, would-be donors were warned to steer clear of charities that request payment through unconventional methods like gift cards.

“Never work with charities that ask for donations by giving numbers from a gift card or by wiring money. That’s a scam,” the tax agency reiterated. “It’s safest to pay by credit card or check, and only after verifying the charity is real.”

Hurricanes won’t stop fraudsters from their nefarious deeds

“The IRS’s notice dovetails with a warning from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about charity and disaster fraud, which similarly urged people to be wary of scammers exploiting tragedies to solicit donations for fake charities,” the Epoch Times continued.

“The FBI additionally cautioned that, after natural disasters, fraudsters may pose as contractors or government officials, committing insurance fraud and further victimizing those with damaged homes and businesses.” (Related: BEWARE: Financial advice columnist loses $50K of her savings to a SCAM involving conmen posing as FTC staffer and CIA agent.)

The outlet noted that the Oct. 15 warning is not the first time the IRS has taken aim at fake charities exploiting taxpayer generosity. In April, the IRS included fake charities in its Dirty Dozen list of tax scams.

The Dirty Dozen campaign, which began in 2002, spotlights the most prevalent tax scams that put taxpayers, businesses and tax professionals at risk. While these schemes often ramp up around the tax filing season, they can occur at any time of the year. The list for this year included a range of scams from fake charities to phishing attacks.

Meanwhile, the IRS recently announced relief for taxpayers affected by Hurricane Milton. The agency offered leniency on dyed diesel fuel penalties and extended various tax deadlines for individuals and businesses across Florida.

Head over to Disaster.news for more stories like this.

Watch Sheriff Richard Mack exposing the corruption of the FBI and IRS in this clip.

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