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Charity Scams

Below are helpful tips to avoid falling victim to “Charity Scams.” 
This information is provided by the Community Foundation’s Preventing Financial Scams Initiative.

Tips to Protect Yourself from Charity Scams

Prevent charity scams

Red Flags

  • You are pressured into donating right away.
  • You are asked to give cash, prepaid debit cards, or wire money.
  • Refuses to share information about the organization’s mission and background and does not answer your calls.
  • Will not verify that your donation is tax-deductible and will not provide a gift receipt.
  • Cannot provide details on how your information will be used.

What to do

  • Ask for contact information for the charity and research them or search for the charity in the resources below.
  • Call the charity directly to verify if the solicitation was legitimate.

Resources


The Community Foundation of Northern Nevada, a 501 (c) 3 organization, is established to strengthen communities in our region through leadership and philanthropy. The information provided on this page does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this page are for general informational purposes only.

Rev. November 2021

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