A multitude of donation requests from nonprofits typically take place during the holiday season. For many organizations, 70% of their revenue comes in during the last two or three months of the year. Still, don’t be surprised if you check your daily mail (emails and postal mail) now, well after the holidays, and find that many worthy causes urgently need support more than ever.

According to Giving USA 2023’s “Annual Philanthropy Report 2022,” individuals, bequests, foundations and corporations donated $499.33 billion to U.S. charities in 2022. We are wonderful people who are charitable and kind. This enormous generosity, however, can also lead to abuse.

Frank Abagnale, a former con artist and best-selling author, published a fascinating book, “Scam Me If You Can.” Leonardo DiCaprio stars in “Catch Me If You Can,” a movie based on the “scamploits” (my word) of Abagnale. In his book, he describes charity scams and how to avoid them, especially when charity appeals are abundant. It’s worth a read.

Let the donor beware

Doubtless, most of us are familiar with the email that promises an enormous fortune from a Nigerian prince. You need only mail the prince, or his charity, a sum of money to redeem your riches. There are still many people who fall for this scam, believe it or not. Some people cannot resist the lure — hook, line and sinker. What a shame.

Then there are telemarketers asking for donations to the local boys’ or girls’ club. Sometimes, telemarketers request your sponsorship for the local police benevolent association or another honest-sounding organization. Some are legitimate; others aren’t. Sadly, the naïve among us ante up generous donations without due diligence. This is like pouring hard-earned money into a bottomless pit.

From time to time, disaster relief appeals also relieve you of well-intended, but stolen, gifts. Earthquakes in Turkey, tsunamis in Japan, wars in the Middle East, and the list runs on. Watching images from these areas wrenches our hearts, and we empty our wallets to support counterfeit pleas. These situations provide an ideal opportunity for evil doers to set up bogus charities to entrap unsuspecting people.

In today’s technological age, many philanthropists fall victim to misleading tactics and contribute to nonexistent charities. Despicable individuals often set up GoFundMe accounts, Facebook pages or websites. On a GoFundMe page, a couple raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for a “so-called” homeless veteran a few years ago. These scofflaws pocketed the money. Luckily, they were all charged with theft and conspiracy to commit thievery by deception, according to the authorities.

The internet is not the only platform for fraud. Beware of in-person, slick miscreants claiming to represent charities, but without a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. To create a nonprofit organization, IRS guidelines require certain steps. In addition, a charity must register in the state where it solicits funds, and sham charities do not.

Authentic eleemosynary institutions rely on your generosity, and they lose out because of crooks who defraud the innocent. You may ask: Is there any way to protect yourself from fraudsters?

Here are some common-sense steps compiled by the AARP. It’s not an exhaustive list, but it’s worth considering.

  • Do not give in to pressure to make a gift right away. Charities that are legitimate welcome donations at any time.
  • Avoid letters asking you to renew your gift that include a return envelope for a donation you did not make. Charlatans target the naïve and gullible.
  • There are very few charities that give 100% of their donations to services. You should be skeptical of such a claim.
  • Verify a charity’s legitimacy with nonprofit watchdogs, such as Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance.
  • Examine the charity’s track record — make sure it lives up to its promises.
  • Beware of charities with similar website names to real charities.
  • Never divulge personal information such as your birth date, Social Security number or bank account numbers. These are high risk for misuse.
  • Contribute by credit card or check. There are safeguards built into them.
  • Never assume that requests on social media are legitimate.
  • Use caution when clicking on links. These can release harmful viruses or malware that steal your private financial information and even hold you hostage until you consent to their perverse demands.

A final note of caution

Unethical and predatory offenders often exploit emergency situations for nefarious purposes. Criminals manipulate artificial intelligence to produce fake videos, pictures and stories. People of all educational levels can be deceived into contributing to nonexistent charity websites. Don’t dump your hard-earned money in a sinkhole. Unless you can vouch for the charity, investigate it first.
The last thing we want is people holding back and not giving to those truly in need. So, when you donate, I ask you, do you want to help victims or become one?

Norman B. Gildin is the author of a book on nonprofit fundraising, “Learn From My Experiences.” He lives in Boynton Beach with his wife, Barbara. Visit normangildin.com.