Many businesses support their communities by donating to local charities. Although there are plenty of non-profits that deserve your support, some exist solely to facilitate fraud. How can you avoid the latter? Familiarize yourself with the deceptive tactics scammers use and carefully screen charities for legitimacy — before you write a check. Branding tricks Fraud perpetrators employ many tried-and-tested approaches to trick businesses into donating to fake charities. One of the most effective ways that they secure donations is by creating entities that resemble established non-profits. They use familiar-sounding names and familiar-looking logos. They also make their websites and marketing materials appear like those of the charities they’re impersonating. These scammers often use their fake branding in emails and on social media platforms. Not only do they hope...
