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FYI: the scammers aren't just pretending to be trapped in some rural jail, or pretending to be a relative in jail here, but are mimicking legitimate charities, and apparently the IRS doesn't have the legal authority (or now perhaps the staffing) to deny them.


http:www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/76-fake-charities-shared-a-mailbox-the-i-r-s-approved-them-all/ar-AAZ8BQs


For those with friends and/or family, especially elders, who might be caught up in these fake charity scams:


"The first problem, according to former I.R.S. officials: Tax law does not prohibit nonprofits from impersonating better-known nonprofits by using sound-alike names. The second: There are no systematic checks for a history of fraud.


“ 'There’s nothing that says you can’t apply for tax-exempt status from a jail cell, having been convicted of charity fraud.'


"...former officials said, the I.R.S. bureaucracy once offered a powerful weapon against potential fraudsters.


"Examiners who suspected fraud could slow down applications by asking for financial records, plans for the future or information about their officers. The requests were often a bluff of sorts, intended to deter applicants from proceeding, even though the agency had little power to block them if they pressed ahead.


“ 'Congress hasn’t given the I.R.S. authorization to issue rules to make sure charities are not run by crooks,' Mr. Owens said."


Don't you just love Congress??!!


This might be a way for families to help support loved ones who are tempted to donate: Do an online check of the charity and if no match is found for the specifically altered name, that could be a good clue, and an excuse to tell a parent or others that the charity can't be proved to be legit.


I do know, though, that parents are baited, tempted and trapped into some illegitimate schemes that have nothing to do with alleged charities, and family often doesn't discover the entrapments until thousands of dollars have been donated.

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What irks me the most is when checking out of the grocery store, and other stores in general, being asked if I'd like to 'contribute to charitable causes' in addition to paying exorbitant amounts of money for food. None of us have ANY IDEA if these 'charitable causes' are legit, or how much if any of our 'donations' are being sent TO that charity, etc., yet they have us trapped at the register feeling OBLIGED to 'donate'!! I NEVER donate any money to those charities at the store. Or at thrift stores like ARC who ask me if I want to 'round up' the change to the nearest dollar to help the 'mentally challenged.' Which is what I'm doing by shopping at ARC in the first place. ALL the items at ARC are DONATED and free of charge to them, with the proceeds supposedly going to help the handicapped! I donate 3 carloads of things to ARC each year, if not more. So no, I do not want to 'round up to the nearest dollar' when I thrift over there, thanks.

Schemes and fraud and scam artists abound these days, especially using the word 'charity' as a front.
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My animal shelter runs a thrift store. I’d say more than half their donated stuff ends up in the dump, which the org has to pay for. Sometimes people use the thrift store or the org as a free dump. The manager has to deal with not just his two paid staff, but the dozens of volunteers in there, many of whom are developmentally disabled or older seniors who need to feel they’re helping a good cause for the community. It’s really a way for this nonprofit to give back.
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Another new scam out there I first heard about on Handel on the Law, but this past week had inlaws taken on it is that those travel sites (Expedia perhaps the most well known) are listed online so that the scam sites look like the real site. People are making reservations only to get to the airport and find out they are non-existant and there is no refund. The charge card you use will tell you they aren't responsible for your sending money to an entity without checking (in his case a debit card, now with having to cancel that) and the airline of course isn't responsible for this either. People with smart phones are now just clicking on APPS that often are complete scams. Let's be careful out there.
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GardenArtist, I remember scams from decades ago, like the one where Bill Gates was giving away free personal computers.... that Disney was giving away free vacations.... the list goes on and on. At least those scams have gone away.

The Ellen scam where she is offering $750 for just answering onto her link has been around since 2017 and I still see people responding to it today, on Facebook. That link is just generating an email list for other scams.

My "spam folder" is filled with such scam daily, 50-80 new ones per day. Even the "filters" can't stop them.
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I worked at a Humane Society with a resale shop like this. They had to pay exorbitant dump fees. Most of their people were volunteers, many of whom were impaired to the point they could not function at our regular facilities.

I always rounded up for them.
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The ARC is a good organization which my Nephew worked for before COVID. He is limited in what he can do, so there has been no work for him. They do more for these people than give them jobs. They help them with resources. Their staff are mostly trained College graduates. There are people who are extremely challenged and are pretty much babysat but kept busy by doing projects. One is taking old cards and making new ones they can sell. The Staff must be paid and there is overhead. Those people working in the Thrift shop are those with disabilities and the money the shop profits, goes to paying their salaries.
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What it comes down to, you just don't donate money unless its an established charity. I only donate local. No helping the needy when checking out because there is no guarantee that the money is used in my Town. I never saw a check from Acme for our Food Closet nor did they donate food. We have a very well established Church based home for troubled boys. I donate to them. Local County animal shelter my daughter volunteers for, I donate there.

No more Redcross, money goes to Administration. No Cancer Society because once you donate the hound you. Good Will, they may hire those with disabilities but the profit goes into owners pocket. Salvation Army I donate to.

I thought having to get a IRS 501C protected us from fake charities.
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My favorites are the guys who pretend they are your grandson in need. When I answer them,
I’m 44. In my best old lady voice I say:
Oh it’s so good to hear from you! Do you have the $6,000 you owe me?
Grandma needs a new set of dentures.’ Etc. Make stuff up till they hang up.
This has evolved over several calls.
started as ‘oh I have money right here to send you, but I have no grandchildren.’
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Donation calls ‘I’m sorry but we already have a set list of what charities we donate to.’
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