Christmas Fundraising Fraud: 3 Considerations Before Giving to Organizations
The holiday season is often a time of giving. While it's great to be charitable, it's also important to understand exactly who you are giving to. If you give to a cause that is not so charitable, then you have given away precious money that doesn't go to the organization you think it does. Getting scammed around Christmas can come with a lot of hurt feelings and emotions. In cases like this, getting legal help from a lawyer can help prevent your getting ripped off and losing out on money that you deserve. There are multiple considerations to take in when dealing with fundraising fraud. Understanding the different cases and options will help you have a good grasp on the legal help that is available to you.
Christmas Charity Professional Fundraisers
There are many ways that charity funds are solicited throughout the holidays. One of these ways is through a practice known as professional fundraisers. These fundraising companies are actually trying to seek a profit through donations. This means that a majority of your donation goes to the company while only a small percentage is passed off to the actual charity. These types of fundraising efforts have been outlawed in some states, but they are still in operation. If you feel like you've donated to one of these companies, then it's important to gather as much information about them as possible. By tracking your donation and seeking proper legal help, you can get these places shut down or fined for not properly indicating what type of company they were. In some cases, a lawyer may seek out other victims of this fraud and bunch you all together for a class-action lawsuit.
Getting Money Back
If you feel like you've donated to a fake charity group or a group committing fraud, then you may seek ways to get your money back. This is where a lawyer can help. Anytime you donate a larger amount to a charity, it's important to pay with some way of tracking. Paying in cash can create all kinds of problems, including your proof of donation. As an alternative, you can easily track checks or debit-card donations you have made. By using these methods, a lawyer can pressure fraudulent companies to refund the money and the exact amount that you donated. Getting the money back may not be so simple. A lawyer has to investigate fraudulent companies, see where the actual money went, and see whether there have been any other complaints. For example, if you donated to a company overseas, it may be harder to get that money back into your account. Even if you cannot get the funds back, a lawyer can help shut down fraudulent operations and get the word out so that other people are not scammed around the holidays.
Tax-Deductible Donations
One of the many benefits of donating to charitable companies around Christmas is the ability to deduct the amounts from your taxes. This can lead to huge tax savings and allow you to donate even more. The tax deductions can become complicated if you ended up donating to a company that is not non-profit or is fraudulent in nature. In order to ensure that you are filing taxes correctly and getting the deductions that you deserve, it's important to follow the legal advice from a lawyer. A lawyer can help break down the different amounts you paid to charities and ways to help sort out your losses if the charity was a scam. Gaining knowledge on this topic will help you with any future donations and tax deductions that you plan to take.
Don't let scammers put a damper on your holiday season. Doing charitable things with a little caution can go a long way in ensuring that you are contributing to the proper places.
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