TIPS: How to avoid scams during holiday season

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – We’ve alerted you recently about several scams targeting people here in Kentucky.

Some of these come from people claiming to taking donations for local non-profits.

Scams are common during the holiday season. So, what can you do to avoid being a victim?

As the holiday season starts, several non-profit organizations are in need of donations. But, there’s a chance that some requests you get aren’t real.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) says, if you’re worried about getting scammed, instead of not giving at all, do research first.

The BBB says one way to make sure your money is going to the right place is to hang up, find the number for the group the caller claims to represent, and call it directly.

With over-the-phone donation requests, you should always ask the organization questions like, ‘who will my money benefit?’ If you don’t get straightforward answers, the BBB says it’s probably not the real organization.

Give.org is a site hosted by the BBB where you can check the credibility of the non-profit that’s supposedly calling you, saying some don’t even exist.

A spokesperson for the BBB says the holiday season is the perfect time for scammers because everyone is in the spirit of giving.

“Con artists always follow the headlines and whatever is going on, they trail along behind and the holiday season isn’t any different,” said Heather Clary. “Not only are there charitable organization scams where they pretend to be someone they’re not, there’s also all sorts of online scams.”

The Better Business Bureau also reminds you to never give out your credit card information over the phone.