NY Attorney General Cautions About Holiday Charity Donations
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Just because you're giving this holiday season, it doesn't mean you want to be taken.
This time of year, charity scams abound, WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reported.
New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman cautioned that you shouldn't give to anyone who calls you.
"Do not make a contribution based on emotion," Schneiderman said. "You've got to use your head, as well as your heart."
It's not uncommon for calls from charities to be ripoffs, the attorney general said.
"A lot of the money can be going to the telemarketing company rather than the charity itself," Schneiderman said.
He also said to research the charities before you give.
"If you care about a cause, take the time to go online and find out what legitimate organizations are out there," the attorney general said.
And if you get a call from a charity, it might not be who you think. There are some misleading, sound-alike groups.
"There are companies that buy the URL. It's very close, the Internet identification name for a charity that's very, very similar," Schneiderman said.
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